Year

After a recent buying spree to strengthen its position in the Appalachian Basin and gain entry to the region’s liquids-rich window, Southwestern Energy Co. won’t slow down next year, with plans to spend on its latest acquisitions and ramp-up production steadily.

North Dakota officials reported some still-robust oil/natural gas production numbers Friday, but they indicated it was clear that producers are beginning to react to plunging oil prices with cutbacks in their operations.

December natural gas is expected to open a penny higher Thursday morning at $4.38 as weather forecasts show ongoing cold temperature patterns and traders await a government report that is expected to show the first storage withdrawal of the season. Overnight oil markets were narrowly mixed.

Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp. CEO David Emery on Tuesday said the Mancos Shale drilling program in the Piceance and San Juan basins is behind schedule, but the company plans to make up ground next year with 12 wells in production. Three wells should ramp up by the end of this year, he said.

Gulfport Energy Corp. offered few details about next year’s budget and operational plans during a third quarter earnings call, telling financial analysts it needs more time to gauge where commodity markets are heading.

ExxonMobil Corp.’s U.S. onshore targets have proven to be a liquids-rich generator, and the company is continuing to prowl for attractive acquisitions, particularly in the Permian Basin, a top executive said Friday.

EQT Corp. plans to do more with fewer wells heading into the end of the year and into 2015, outlining a strategy on Thursday during its third quarter conference call that relies on longer laterals rather than more wells to increase output going forward.

Despite admitting that 2015 could be one of the toughest years yet for oil and gas prices, Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. management on Friday reaffirmed the company’s plans to grow annual production by 20-30%, with a drilling program that could eventually lean more heavily on the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas.

Forecasters are expecting a relatively mild winter this year, and natural gas production continues to break records, but the industry will still face challenges in coming months, FERC staff told the Commission Thursday during the Winter 2014-2015 Energy Market Assessment presentation.