Exploration And Production

The U.S. natural gas rig count climbed two units to 93 for the week ended Friday (April 9) as an uptick in land drilling offset a pullback in the Gulf of Mexico, according to data published by Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). U.S. oil-directed rigs remained unchanged overall at 337. The total U.S. rig count ended…

With gains on land offsetting a pullback in Gulf of Mexico activity, the U.S. rig count added two units to finish the week ended Friday (April 9) at 432, according to the latest figures published by oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). Two natural gas-directed rigs were added during the week in the United…

With its takeover of fellow Colorado pure-play HighPoint Resources Corp. now complete, Bonanza Creek Energy Inc. is looking to optimize the combined well completions and midstream gathering needs, according to CEO Eric Greager. Bonanza Creek completed its merger with HighPoint on April 1. The closing allows the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin operator to revamp the overall…

Leading U.S. oil and gas trade group American Petroleum Institute (API) on Thursday urged the Biden administration to fully reinstate leasing on federal property, warning of environmental and economic impacts under a long-term ban. Biden has paused via executive order (EO) the awarding of new leases amid a comprehensive review of the Interior Department (DOI)…

Argentina’s state oil company Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales SA (YPF)  plans to spend $1.5 billion to boost oil and gas production this year in Neuquén province, home to the giant Vaca Muerta formation. YPF “has come out to announce its big effort to all Argentines, an investment that will translate into an important increase in oil…

Editor’s Note: NGI’s Mexico Gas Price Index, a leader tracking Mexico natural gas market reform, is offering the following column by Eduardo Prud’homme as part of a regular series on understanding this process. Prud’homme was central to the development of Cenagas, the nation’s natural gas pipeline operator, an entity formed in 2015 as part of…

The U.S. natural gas rig count remained unchanged at 92 for the week ending Friday (March 12), while a small decline in the oil patch sent the overall domestic tally slightly lower, according to updated data from oilfield services provider Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). Including a one-rig decline in oil-directed rigs, the overall U.S. rig…

Hydraulic fracturing operations slowed considerably across the Lower 48 last year as the pandemic slammed the oilpatch, but proppant operators are seeing signs of a turnaround as their customers begin completing wells. The management teams of U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. and Smart Sand Inc. recently held their fourth quarter conference calls, acknowledging the struggles through…

The U.S. rig count eased one unit lower to 402 for the week ending Friday (March 12) as increases in the Permian Basin and Utica Shale partially offset declines in the Marcellus and Haynesville shales, according to updated data from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). The total number of domestic natural gas-directed rigs remained unchanged at…