Blog
Since days when shale oil and gas technologies were discovered, the U.S. energy industry has been evolving more rapidly than ever before. Many changes are amazing especially when you put them on an industry map. At Rextag not only do we keep you aware of major projects such as pipelines or LNG terminals placed in service. Even less significant news are still important to us, be it new wells drilled or processing plants put to regular maintenance.
Daily improvements often come unnoticed but you can still follow these together with us. Our main input is to “clip it” to the related map: map of crude oil refineries or that of natural gas compressor stations. Where do you get and follow your important industry news? Maybe you are subscribed to your favorite social media feeds or industry journals. Whatever your choice is, you are looking for the story. What happened? Who made it happen? WHY does this matter? (Remember, it is all about ‘What’s in It For Me’ (WIIFM) principle).
How Rextag blog helps? Here we are concerned with looking at things both CLOSELY and FROM A DISTANCE.
"Looking closely" means reflecting where exactly the object is located.
"From a distance" means helping you see a broader picture.
New power plant added in North-East? See exactly what kind of transmission lines approach it and where do they go. Are there other power plants around? GIS data do not come as a mere dot on a map. We collect so many additional data attributes: operator and owner records, physical parameters and production data. Sometimes you will be lucky to grab some specific area maps we share on our blog. Often, there is data behind it as well. Who are top midstream operators in Permian this year? What mileage falls to the share or Kinder Morgan in the San-Juan basin? Do you know? Do you want to know?
All right, then let us see WHERE things happen. Read this blog, capture the energy infrastructure mapped and stay aware with Rextag data!
Oil and Gas Industry of Wyoming: Basins, Counties, 2022 vs 2023 Review
In Wyoming during 2023, the oil and gas industry experienced various trends and developments. Wyoming ranked 8th nationally in both crude oil and natural gas production, significantly contributing to the economy through property and severance taxes. The state had a peak of 27,951 producing wells in 2022, including oil and gas wells, with 33 operating gas plants processing nearly 97% of the state's gas production. Notably, 21 of Wyoming's 23 counties produce oil and/or natural gas, with Converse County leading in crude oil production and Sublette County in natural gas production. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicted that crude oil production across the United States would increase to 12.8 million b/d in 2024. Throughout 2023, oil production in Wyoming showed an upward trend, with more than 95 million barrels expected to be produced, an increase of about 3 million barrels from 2022. This rise in oil production was partly attributed to the completion of 110 newly drilled oil wells in the first half of the year, mainly in the Powder River Basin. However, natural gas production faced a decline due to the aging of wells and a low number of new gas wells being completed. Only 18 new gas wells were finished in the first half of 2023, with a noted interest in drilling applications, suggesting potential future developments.
XCL Resources Requests FTC Green Light for Purchasing Altamont Energy
XCL Resources is seeking approval from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its proposed acquisition of Altamont Energy LLC, another Utah-based oil producer. This initiative is backed by XCL's parent entity, EnCap Investments LP, a notable private equity firm. Discussions about purchasing Colorado-based Altamont Energy began in the previous summer, as highlighted in FTC documentation.
Tallgrass Energy's Open Season for the Pony Express Pipeline Project
Tallgrass Energy has started a new open season for the Pony Express Pipeline, and this is the second time they're doing it in 2024. They're looking for companies that want to move their crude oil from the Williston Basin and are offering special rates as an incentive. This 30-day event kicked off on March 11. To get the full details, companies need to sign a confidentiality agreement with Tallgrass.
Dominion and Enbridge Complete $6.6 Billion Utility Transaction
Enbridge Inc. has completed a $6.6 billion purchase of The East Ohio Gas Co., an Ohio natural gas company, from Dominion Energy. This acquisition is part of a larger $14 billion merger and acquisition deal previously announced by the two companies. The East Ohio Gas Co. will operate under the new name Enbridge Gas Ohio (EOG) and become part of Enbridge's Gas Distribution and Storage Business Unit, including taking on some debt as mentioned by Dominion.
Haynesville Shale's 2022-2023 Performance Overview, What Happened, Trends
The Haynesville Shale play, located in northwestern Louisiana and eastern Texas, was recognized in March 2008. Petrohawk Energy Corp. and Chesapeake Energy Corp. had leased acreages in Louisiana, bringing fame to the region. The Haynesville Shale is crucial for meeting the rising demand for LNG exports from the Gulf Coast because of its location. It's expected that Haynesville will contribute about 13 Bcf/d to the overall growth in U.S. gas demand by 2030. However, drilling in Haynesville is more expensive and challenging due to the depth of its wells, especially when compared to areas like the Marcellus Shale.
Tight Oil Supply and US Production Downgrades Expected to Drive Prices Up and China Growth Concerns
Crude oil prices are on the verge of a significant rise, as per Helima Croft, a top commodities strategist at RBC Capital Markets. She highlights a looming shift in the oil market's supply-demand dynamics, forecasting a potential slowdown in global crude production. This slowdown might push Brent crude prices to $85 in the latter half of 2024.
U.S. Oil and Gas Drilling 2023-2024 Report: Rigs, Onshore, Offshore Activity, Biggest Companies
In January 2024, the United States saw a mix of ups and downs in the number of active drilling rigs across its major oil shale regions and states. Starting with the shale regions, the Permian Basin led with a slight increase, reaching 310 rigs, which is 3 more than in December. The Eagle Ford in East Texas held steady with 54 rigs, unchanged from the previous month. Meanwhile, both the Haynesville and Anadarko regions saw a decrease by 2 rigs each, landing at 42 rigs. The Niobrara faced a larger drop, losing 4 rigs to settle at 27. On a brighter note, the Williston Basin and the Appalachian region saw increases of 2 and 1 rigs, respectively, resulting in counts of 34 and 41 rigs.
Cold Weather Disruptions Lead to Lower US Natural Gas Production in January 2024
In January, US natural gas production dropped to 102 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) from December's record of 106 Bcf/d due to bad weather. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects it to recover soon, hitting 105 Bcf/d by March. The EIA's outlook for 2024 predicts an average production of about 104 Bcf/d, slightly down from the earlier forecast of 105 Bcf/d. By 2025, production is anticipated to climb over 106 Bcf/d.
Shell Rises Earnings to $7.3 Billion in Latest Quarter, LNG Sales Up
Shell PLC revealed it made a profit of US$28 billion for 2023, thanks to strong earnings from trading liquefied natural gas (LNG). The company saw its quarterly adjusted earnings rise to $7.3 billion in the fourth quarter, up from $6.2 billion in the third quarter of 2023. This financial success allowed the company to raise its dividend and continue buying back shares.
Chevron Faces Potential Hurdle from Exxon in $53 Billion Hess Acquisition
This week, Chevron told its investors about a bump in the road with its plan to buy into a big oil project near Guyana. The problem is Exxon Mobil and China's CNOOC say they should get the first chance to make an offer against Chevron's plan to buy Hess's part in the project. This issue could mess up Chevron's plans, making it hard or impossible to finish the deal as they hoped.