U.S. Drillers Add Rigs for first Week in Eight
U.S. energy firms added rigs for the first time in eight weeks even as producers follow through on plans to reduce spending on new drilling.Companies added 4 oil rigs in the week to Dec. 13, bringing the total count to 667, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday.In the same week a year ago, there were 873 active rigs.That keeps the oil rig count on track to fall for the first year since 2016.
Offshore: OSV Market Report
The environment in oil patches onshore and offshore alike has been challenging throughout 2019; worries about an economic slowdown – whether cyclical or induced by a trade war – have weighed heavily on oil prices, even in the face of reduced production by the big producers. Though storm clouds persist, there appears a clearing on the horizon.The fate of Offshore Service Vessels (OSVs) is, naturally, closely tied to the price of oil.
Tankers Sail after U.S. Provides Sanctions Relief
At least three tankers are on their way to Asia with U.S. oil cargoes after Washington gave temporary approval to wind down transactions with a Chinese shipping company that it sanctioned last month, according to data and shipping sources.In one of the biggest sanctions actions taken by the U.S. government since its crackdown on Iranian oil exports, Washington on Sept. 25 announced sanctions on Chinese tanker companies…
Halliburton Promises Cost Cuts
Halliburton Co on Monday promised more cost cuts after reporting a bigger-than-expected drop in quarterly revenue as the oilfield services looks to counter weak demand from North American shale producers, sending its shares up about 7%.The biggest hydraulic fracking services provider, which earlier this month cut 650 jobs in North America, said it would take steps over the next few quarters that will lead to $300…
Oxy CFO Pledges to Quickly Pare Acquisition Debt
Occidental Petroleum Corp expects to quickly reduce the $40 billion in debt it took on with its purchase of Anadarko Petroleum, the company's finance chief said on Monday.Cedric Burgher, in his first public remarks since the $38 billion acquisition closed last week, told an EnerCom energy conference audience, the resulting debt burden was "not too bad," and pledged Occidental would be selective in choosing assets to sell.He defended the purchase…
LNG Shipping Rates Spike with No Respite Seen Through 2019
The price of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) has spiked in September and is likely to remain high next year, buoyed by rising production from new plants and concerns that demand for LNG vessels will outpace supply.The rate for vessels shipping LNG from the Atlantic Basin to Asia has jumped to $90,000 to $95,000 a day this week from $75,000 a day at the end of August, brokers and traders said.Rates, which broadly hovered around $30…
LNG Shipping Rates Spike With no Respite Seen Through 2019
The price of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) has spiked in September and is likely to remain high next year, buoyed by rising production from new plants and concerns that demand for LNG vessels will outpace supply.The rate for vessels shipping LNG from the Atlantic Basin to Asia has jumped to $90,000 to $95,000 a day this week from $75,000 a day at the end of August, brokers and traders said.Rates, which broadly hovered around $30…
Schlumberger CFO Ayat to Retire Soon
Schlumberger NV Chief Financial Officer Simon Ayat plans to retire this year and a company insider has emerged as top candidate to replace him at the world's largest oil services firm, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.Stephane Biguet, currently vice president of finance, is the frontrunner to replace Ayat, according to the people who declined to be named because the matter is not yet public.Schlumberger…
ConocoPhillips Profit Tops Estimates on Rising Oil Prices, Cost Cuts
ConocoPhillips, the world's largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by rising crude prices and cost cuts.Results at Conoco, like many of its peers, have steadily improved in recent quarters alongside commodity prices and as better technology makes operations more efficient.Also, Conoco's stock has risen as the company has prioritized cost cuts and asset sales over production increases.
ProPetro Holding Profit Misses, Shares Fall
Shares of ProPetro Holding Corp fell by as much as 12.9 percent on Tuesday after the U.S. pressure pumper reported a lower than expected quarterly profit on weather-related delays and a higher mix of lower-margin services. The Midland, Texas, company posted earnings per share of 12 cents in the fourth quarter, below analysts' expectations of 35 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Fourth-quarter revenue of $313.7 million was roughly in line with expectations of $311.7 million.
GE Commits to Baker Hughes, Shares Jump
Shares of General Electric Co's Baker Hughes rose sharply on Wednesday after the parent company said it no longer planned to shed its holdings in the oilfield services business before the expiration of a two-year lockup period, reversing an earlier stance that had cast uncertainty around the stock. General Electric last November said it was considering shedding its Baker Hughes holdings to refocus its business and boost cash flows.
Some Investors Sense Opportunities in Big Oil
Link between oil prices and energy stocks disrupted; uncertainty remains over crude revival, electric car effect. Investors are gaining confidence - up to a point - that 2018 will be the year of oil stocks. While shares in top energy companies have risen since mid-2017, they have failed to keep step with recovering crude markets, opening up a historically unusual performance gap. Big oil stocks have also underperformed broader equity indexes.
Schlumberger expects reactivation costs to squeeze margins
Schlumberger NV warned on Friday that margins would remain under pressure as the oilfield services provider spends more to bring back idled equipment to meet rising demand from North American shale producers after a two-year lull. Shares of the company, whose quarterly profit nearly halved due to a jump in costs, fell as much as 4.4 percent to $73.18, their lowest in nearly a year. Oilfield service providers, including Schlumberger's rival Halliburton Co…
Diamond Offshore Sees Recovery when Oil 'Well over $60'
Rig contractor Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc's Chief Executive Officer Marc Edwards said on Monday oil prices needed to be "well over $60" to spur a recovery in offshore drilling. The company's shares reversed course and were down 2.3 percent at $16.67, with investors shrugging off a beat on quarterly profit and revenue. Global benchmark Brent crude prices have stabilized after a more than two-year slump, with prices hovering around $55 per barrel.
Gains from Higher Rig Count Limited for Halliburton, Schlumberger
An increase in rigs being put back to work in U.S. shale fields is largely being driven by smaller oil companies drilling less-complex wells that don't need costly, high-tech services offered by industry leaders such as Halliburton Co. The upshot? Halliburton and larger rival Schlumberger NV's gains from the rise in rig count is expected to be limited in the short term as smaller oilfield services companies such as RPC Inc swoop in to fill the gap.
Does OPEC Deal spell Relief for U.S. Shale?
It was a moment U.S. shale oil producers have been waiting on for more than two years: OPEC nations finally agreed to cut production on Wednesday in a move that lifted low prices ravaging their budgets. Two sources in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said the group would reduce output to 32.5 million barrels per day (bpd) from current production of 33.24 million bpd, by around half the amount of global oversupply.
U.S. Rig Count set for Biggest Quarterly Rise in 2 Years
U.S. drillers this week added oil rigs for a 12th week in the past 13 and were on track to add the most rigs in a quarter since crude prices plummeted two years ago, although the momentum has slowed as prices hold below $50 a barrel. Drillers added two oil rigs in the week to Sept. 23, bringing the total rig count up to 418, the most since February but still below the 641 rigs seen a year ago, energy services firm Baker Hughes Inc said on Friday.
Halliburton Signals Better Demand for Fracking Equipment
Halliburton Co indicated that demand for its fracking equipment was returning, despite the fewer number of rigs at work, as high-intensity shale drilling soaked up all the available capacity in the market. Halliburton is the world's largest provider of equipment used in hydraulic fracturing or fracking - the process of pumping water and chemicals, known as proppants, into shale rocks to extract oil and gas. U.S.
US Oil Drillers Add Rigs for 4th Week in 5
U.S. drillers this week added oil rigs for a fourth week in five, according to a closely followed report Friday, in the best month of producers returning to the well pad since August that signaled a near-two year rout in drilling may have ended. Drillers added 11 oil rigs in the week to July 1, the biggest weekly increase since December, bringing the total rig count up to 341, compared with 640 a year ago, energy services firm Baker Hughes Inc said.
US Oil Drillers Add Rigs for Third Week in a Row
U.S. drillers this week added oil rigs for a third week in a row for the first time since August, according to a closely followed report on Friday, as producers seek more drilling permits after crude prices hit an 11-month high over $51 a barrel last week. Despite a decline in U.S. crude futures to one-month lows to under $47 this week, analysts and producers have said oil over $50 was a key level that would trigger a return to the well pad and drilling permits are a leading indicator of future drilling.
