Dallas Fed: Regional oil activity declines but electrification gains.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported on Wednesday that oil and gas activity in Texas and Louisiana, as well as New Mexico, decreased in the third quarter. According to executives surveyed, third-quarter oil and natural gas production is mixed. Data suggests that oil production has increased, while gas production has decreased. A fifth of oil executives…
New Water Dissolvable Frac Ball Tooling Launched
Victory Elements says its newly launched water dissolvable ceramic materials for hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells are designed to provide performance and cost advantages compared to conventional practices including faster completion times, reduced completion costs and less environmental impact. The novel system, featuring solid ceramic frac balls of various diameters…
US Oil Industry Group Pledges to Fight Possible Biden Fracking Limits
If U.S. President-elect Joe Biden tries to restrict development of oil and gas drilling on federal lands, the American Petroleum Institute (API) will use "every tool at its disposal" including legal action, chief executive Mike Sommers said in an interview with Reuters on Monday.Biden has said he supports a ban on new gas and oil permits — including fracking — on federal lands.Fracking…
Halliburton Lays Off 1,000 Employees at Houston HQ
Oilfield services firm Halliburton has laid off roughly 1,000 employees, or 22% of staff, at its corporate headquarters in Houston, a company spokeswoman said on Wednesday, as oil prices collapse.The cuts by one of the biggest names in oilfield services come with oil prices having plunged to around $24 a barrel, far below production costs for many firms, prompting oil and gas explorers to slam the brakes on drilling.
Schlumberger Posts Loss on $8.5 Bln Charge as Customers Accelerate Cuts
Schlumberger NV, the world's largest oilfield services firm, on Friday reported a first-quarter loss due to $8.5 billion in charges, as customers accelerated spending cuts amid the continuing decline in oil prices.Crude prices plunged 60% in March after Saudi Arabia and Russia vowed to pump full bore and the spread of the novel coronavirus crushed global fuel demand.
Oilfield Equipment and Services Spending to Fall to 2005-Low
Global spending on oilfield equipment and services this year will fall 21% from 2019 to $211 billion, the lowest level since 2005, according to a report to be released on Wednesday by consultancy Spears & Associates, as oil and gas producers slash spending.The decline comes as the coronavirus pandemic has crushed oil and gas demand, and Saudi Arabia and Russia pump full bore in a grab for market share that has shale producers reeling. U.S.
Oilfield Services Giant to Cut Spending by 30%
Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield services company, on Tuesday said it would cut spending by 30% this year from last year's levels as the oil market has been roiled by the coronavirus outbreak and Saudi-Russia price war.The company expects a rapid reduction in active drilling and hydraulic fracturing activity, estimating the number of rigs in operation…
McDermott Appoints Krummel as CFO
McDermott International announced the appointment of Chris Krummel as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Krummel joined McDermott in 2016 and previously served as the company's Global Vice President, Finance and Chief Accounting Officer. He replaces Stuart Spence, who has resigned from McDermott to pursue other opportunities."Chris…
Drilling Ban Proposals Divide Democrats
In the southeast corner of New Mexico, new houses, hotels and jobs are sprouting like flowers in the desert. Trucks hauling equipment and laborers jam once-barren highways on the way to thousands of oil rigs.The Democrats who control the state's government have lofty plans for the billions of dollars in projected tax revenues from the drilling industry in the Permian Basin…
Investors Brace for Poor US Shale Earnings
Investors are bracing for weaker results from U.S. shale players in coming days as lower oil and natural gas prices and cost-cutting measures have weighed on third-quarter operations.Major shale producers ConocoPhillips and Concho Resources this week kick off quarterly earnings reports for a group whipsawed this year by volatile pricing and investor demands for improved returns.
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…
ProPetro Cuts Almost 150 Workers
ProPetro Holding Corp this month cut about 150 workers, people familiar with the matter said on Monday, the latest sign of growing trouble in the oilfield services sector as U.S. shale producers reduce drilling.The job cuts reflect slowing shale activity due to weak prices for oil and gas, and producers exhausting their spending budgets for the year, one of the people said.Midland…
Schlumberger CEO Outlines Digital Strategy
Schlumberger NV's newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer Olivier Le Peuch on Wednesday outlined his vision for the world's largest oilfield services company, vowing to exit unprofitable businesses, restructure some units and focus on returns.In his first public remarks since taking office in July, the 32-year company veteran also warned the company would record a sizeable, non-cash charge to write down assets in the current quarter.
NOV Cuts Staff for Second Time This Year
Oilfield equipment and service provider National Oilwell Varco has begun trimming its workforce for the second time this year, two people familiar with the matter said this week, as oil producers cut spending budgets.The Houston, Texas-based company last quarter rolled out a voluntary early retirement program and said it was reorganizing operations to reduce costs as part of a broader restructuring plan.
Permian Fracking Sets New Records
Hydraulic fracturing operations in the Permian shattered old records in June. The prolific shale basin in Texas and parts of New Mexico in the US has reached new heights in terms of the number of fracked wells – both on a daily basis and in terms of absolute monthly wells. Rystad Energy estimates there were as many as 18 wells fracked per day across the entire Permian Basin, or almost 550 wells during the month of June.
Halliburton Profit Beats Estimates
Halliburton Co on Monday beat analysts' estimates for second-quarter profit as its Completions and Production unit outperformed expectations, pushing its shares up 6.8 percent in early trading.The Houston, Texas-based company is a leading provider of hydraulic fracturing services in North America, a segment of the oilfield services business that has been hard-hit by an abundance of equipment…
Frac Sand Prices to Remain Flat
Demand for sand to be used by the oil and gas industry in hydraulic fracturing operations in the US is set to grow by 10% in 2019 and 17% in 2020, said a report.According to Rystad Energy, frac sand supply, on the other hand, is forecast to increase by 10% in 2019 and then decrease by 2% in 2020 as more Northern White Sand will come off the market.The Eagle…
Oil Majors Rush to Dominate US Shale
In New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert, Exxon Mobil Corp is building a massive shale oil project that its executives boast will allow it to ride out the industry's notorious boom-and-bust cycles.Workers at its Remuda lease near Carlsbad - part of a staff of 5,000 spread across New Mexico and Texas - are drilling wells, operating fleets of hydraulic pumps and digging…
Oilfield Services Firms Keane, C&J Merge
Oilfield services company Keane Group Inc said on Monday it will merge with rival C&J Energy Services in a $745.7 million all-stock deal, as it looks for scale amid spending cuts by crude producers.The oil service sector has been battling lower demand and pricing pressure as U.S. producers hold off drilling new wells on investor demand that cash be used for…
UK Fracking Tsar Quits
The British government's fracking tsar Natascha Engel said on Sunday she had quit the role after just six months because government policy was preventing the industry from developing.Fracking, or hydraulically fracturing, involves extracting gas from rocks by breaking them up with water and chemicals at high pressure.It is fiercely opposed by environmentalists…
