US Drillers Cut Oil and Gas Rigs for Third Week in a Row, Baker Hughes Says

Baker Hughes said oil rigs rose by one to 411 this week, while gas rigs fell by one to 123, and miscellaneous rigs fell by one to five.

In Texas, the biggest oil and gas-producing state, the rig count fell by two to 243, the lowest since October 2021.

In the Permian basin in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, the biggest U.S. oil-producing shale formation, the rig count fell by three to 256, the lowest since September 2021.

In the Eagle Ford shale in South Texas, the rig count fell by one to 38, the lowest since October 2021.

The oil and gas rig count declined by about 5% in 2024 and 20% in 2023 as lower U.S. oil and gas prices over the past couple of years prompted energy firms to focus more on boosting shareholder returns and paying down debt rather than increasing output.

The independent exploration and production (E&P) companies tracked by U.S. financial services firm TD Cowen said they planned to cut capital expenditures by around 4% in 2025 from levels seen in 2024.

That compares with roughly flat year-over-year spending in 2024, increases of 27% in 2023, 40% in 2022, and 4% in 2021. Even though analysts forecast U.S. spot crude prices would decline for a third year in a row in 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected crude output would rise from a record 13.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 to around 13.4 million bpd in 2025.

On the gas side, the EIA projected a 68% increase in spot gas prices in 2025 would prompt producers to boost drilling activity this year after a 14% price drop in 2024 caused several energy firms to cut output for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for the fuel in 2020. The EIA projected gas output would rise to 105.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025, up from 103.2 bcfd in 2024 and a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino Editing by Marguerita Choy)