Can natural gas prices rise even in a generational downturn like the COVID-19 situation? Analysts including the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) feel that prices were already so low that they had nowhere to go but up anyway. In the Permian Basin in particular, gas prices were artificially low due to takeaway constraints. Such constraints […]
Cheniere, Freeport receive cancel orders for shipments of LNG
Cheniere Energy, nation’s biggest producer of LNG, received requests to cancel as many as 30 cargoes due for loading in July from buyers with long-term supply contracts, including shipments from Texas ports Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi. Bloomberg said Cheniere may also cancel some of its own cargoes that it sells in the spot market. […]
Crude production to decline in June to lowest levels since 2018
Crude oil production in seven major regions in U.S. is expected to fall to levels not seen since 2018 as operators respond to the price collapse and oversupply. Led by declines in Permian Basin, production next month is expected to fall by 197,000 barrels per day to 7.822 million b/d, according to U.S. Energy Information […]
U.S. idles 385 of 793 rigs (49 percent) during 8 straight weeks of decline
During the eight-week decline in count of active oil and gas drilling rigs, U.S. operators have idled 385 rigs to fall from 793 rigs to 408 in Baker Hughes’ report of May 1. There have been seven-week declines in Permian Basin (down 199 rigs from 418 to 219), Texas (down 207 rigs from 408 to […]
Railroad Commission dismisses proposal to limit oil production in Texas
Railroad Commission of Texas decided this week that it will not require cutbacks in crude oil production by Texas operators to address depressed prices during global oil oversupply. Chairman Wayne Christian and commissioner Christi Craddick voted to dismiss earlier proposals to allow prorationing by Pioneer Natural Resources and Parsley Energy and commissioner Ryan Sitton. “This […]
Gravity Oilfield Services ships storage tanks
Midland-based Gravity Oilfield Services said last week it shipped more than 1,000 storage tanks in recent weeks and has another 4,000 available to operators in Permian Basin, Eagle Ford and Haynesville. “As a result of the decline in their normal use for frac or mud tanks, we are making them available for crude oil storage,” […]
Eddy (41 rigs), Midland (31) lead Permian Basin count from Baker Hughes
Midland County replaced Lea County, N.M., as Permian Basin’s No. 2 county in the April 24 rig count from Baker Hughes. Midland’s count was unchanged from the previous week with 31 rigs while Lea idled 9 rigs to fall to 29. Eddy County, N.M., remains the leader with 41 rigs. Other basin rig counts include […]
Production of oil, gas to decline in each of seven major regions in May
U.S. Department of Energy forecasts declining production for both crude oil and natural gas in each of the seven major regions in May as supply continues to outpace demand and storage capacity amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Oil production is expected to decline by 183,000 barrels per day in May compared to April to 8.526 […]
Oklahoma agency approves emergency order, Christian backs “free market”
Oklahoma Corporation Commission approved an emergency order April 22 to allow crude operators to shut in money-losing wells. According to Oil & Gas Journal, the regulatory agency said operators and producers “may shut in or curtail production from wells where they determine such action is necessary and warranted to prevent economic waste” for 90 days […]
Marathon Petroleum idles refinery in Gallup, N.M.
Findlay, Ohio-based Marathon Petroleum said it idled its refinery in Gallup, N.M., April 15. Bloomberg said it’s the first U.S. facility to close because of the coronavirus pandemic. Bloomberg added, “It’s not likely to be the last.” Jamal Kheiry of Marathon said the refinery will maintain regular staffing levels while it is down and will […]