Sequential

ConocoPhillips expects its first quarter oil and natural gas production to be “slightly less” sequentially over the fourth quarter of 2003, the company said Monday.

ConocoPhillips expects its first quarter oil and natural gas production to be “slightly less” sequentially over the fourth quarter of 2003, the company said Monday.

The oil service sector ended the year on a strong note, with stocks gaining more than 10% in December, and the rally is expected to continue “along a bumpy path” for the first half of 2004, according to a new report by RBC Capital Markets analysts.

The oil service sector ended the year on a strong note, with stocks gaining more than 10% in December, and the rally is expected to continue “along a bumpy path” for the first half of 2004, according to a new report by RBC Capital Markets analysts.

With about 66% of its third quarter production survey completed, Lehman Brothers analysts said Friday that they believe North American natural gas production fell an estimated 2.3% sequentially from the second quarter and that full-year volumes are expected to fall nearly 2.5% in the United States and 3.2% in Canada over 2002.

The 11 majors and independents that produce about 14% of the natural gas for the Lower 48 are reporting a 1.7% sequential decline over the first quarter and a 5.8% decline over a year ago, according to research by Lehman Brothers’ analyst Thomas R. Driscoll. The analyst, who surveys a total of 45 producers that overall account for 70% of U.S. production, has revised a previous forecast of flat production for the quarter, and now predicts either a small increase or decrease, in the range of +0.4% to 0.4%, from the first quarter of this year.

The 11 majors and independents that produce about 14% of the natural gas for the Lower 48 are reporting a 1.7% sequential decline over the first quarter and a 5.8% decline over a year ago, according to research by Lehman Brothers’ analyst Thomas R. Driscoll. The analyst, who surveys a total of 45 producers that overall account for 70% of U.S. production, has revised a previous forecast of flat production for the quarter, and now predicts either a small increase or decrease, in the range of +0.4% to 0.4%, from the first quarter of this year.