After a gut-wrenching 2020 in which bankruptcies, write-downs and historic losses consumed the oil and natural gas industry, the U.S. midstream sector is poised for a stable path to recovery in the year ahead, according to experts.

midstreamers

Several key themes this year could shape the return to normal, including the pace of economic reopenings/demand recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the incoming Biden administration and the trajectory of commodity prices, analysts said. 

The Permian Basin, where production has made a surprisingly swift turnaround despite ongoing uncertainties related to the virus, is viewed as the place to be for midstreamers. However, other producing areas could also fare well for some companies.

“Midstream cash flows, and especially volume exposures, have the...