(Reuters) – U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in three weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Tuesday.
The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by three to 545 in the week to December 23.
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Baker Hughes released the rig count report a few days early due to the Christmas Day holiday.
Despite this week’s rig increase, Baker Hughes said the total count was still down 44 rigs from this time last year, marking a 7.5% drop.
Baker Hughes said the number of oil rigs rose by three to 409 this week, while gas rigs were unchanged at 127.
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. 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 projected crude output would rise from a record 13.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 to around 13.6 million bpd in 2025.
On the gas side, EIA projected that a 63% 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. EIA projected gas output would rise to 107.7 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 in New York and Sarah Qureshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Paul Simao
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