Capex

Oil and gas producer North American capital expenditures (capex) will continue to grow next year but not as fast as it did this year, predicted analysts at Raymond James & Associates Inc. The global economic outlook and oil prices will drive spending trends, the firm said.

Energy analysts last week questioned Encana Corp.’s capital expenditure (capex) plans into 2012 after the unconventional natural gas giant failed to complete a $5.4 billion joint operating agreement with a subsidiary of PetroChina International Ltd.

XTO Energy Inc. has sliced more than $1 billion from its 2009 capital expenditure (capex) plans because of low commodity prices and the oversupplied natural gas markets, the company said Tuesday. However, even with the cuts, 2009 gas-weighted production volumes are predicted to jump 14% over 2008 levels.

Rapidly rising cash flow from growing production and high commodity prices has led Houston-based Edge Petroleum Corp. to more than double its capital spending budget for the year. The company’s board of directors approved an increase in its 2003 capital spending budget to $35 million, compared to the original $15.3 million budgeted.

Although there have been few if any formal announcements about increases in exploration and capital spending, there has been a huge increase in the rig count since it bottomed out a little more than a month ago, indicating producers probably aren’t waiting around to take advantage of a favorable 12-month gas futures strip, Raymond James & Associates said in an equity research note.