Upstream

Consolidation in the U.S. exploration sector continued to gain steam Monday, with Contango Oil & Gas Co. announcing an all-stock merger with Mid-Con Energy Partners LP one day after a big tie-up in the Canadian oilpatch.  Houston-based Contango works the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and across the Lower 48, mostly in…

North Dakota officials last Friday re-allocated $16 million from federal Covid-19 funds to reduce a growing number of drilled but uncompleted wells (DUC) while creating up to 1,000 temporary jobs in the oil and gas sector. The action by the state Emergency Commission chaired by Gov. Doug Burgum was part of an effort to reassign…

The final presidential debate on Thursday crystallized stark differences between the candidates on climate and energy policy, as Joseph R. Biden Jr. stressed the urgency of addressing climate change while President Trump warned that the Democratic nominee’s plans would hurt the economy. Calling climate change “an existential threat to humanity,” Biden said, “We have a…

The U.S. active fracture (frack) spread count is climbing, with gains of up to 6% already this month from September, according to Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. In a preliminary note to clients, the analyst team said well completions activity is climbing in the Lower 48 since the start of the month. The domestic active…

Calgary-based Precision Drilling Corp., one of the largest drilling contractors in North America, is seeing U.S. demand improve, with Canada activity accelerating in natural gas and liquids-rich plays. During a conference call to discuss third quarter results, CEO Kevin Neveu said the Lower 48 rig count already has improved off the “third quarter lows back…

Bolstered by increased oil drilling, particularly in the Permian Basin, the U.S. rig count climbed for a sixth straight week during the period ended Friday (Oct. 23), picking up five units to reach 287, according to the latest data from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR). A six-rig increase in domestic oil drilling offset a one-rig decline…

ConocoPhillips on Monday announced it is taking over Concho Resources Inc. for $9.7 billion in stock, forming a giant in the Permian Basin that would rival the output of the biggest players in the nation’s most productive oilfield. Concho, a Permian pure-play, is the fifth-largest producer by volume in the massive field. The combination marks…

The U.S. natural gas rig count climbed one unit to finish at 74 for the week ending Friday (Oct. 16), while a surge in oil activity saw the overall domestic drilling tally rise by double digits, the latest numbers from Baker Hughes Co. (BKR) show. Driven by a 12-rig increase in oil-directed rigs, the combined…

Oklahoma City-based independent Chaparral Energy Inc. has emerged from bankruptcy for a second time, this time as a privately held company. The Anadarko Basin-focused exploration and production (E&P) firm said it has equitized all $300 million of its unsecured senior notes due 2023, reduced its annual interest expense by more than $25 million and “significantly…