美国钻机数量13个月来首次增加

据海上工程12月27日报道，随着生产商严格执行削减新钻探支出的计划，美国能源公司在三周内首次减少了石油钻机的数量。

能源服务公司贝克休斯公司（Baker Hughes Co）在周五密切关注的报告中称，截至12月27日的一周中，钻探商削减了8台石油钻机，使总数降至677台，是自11月15日当周以来的最低水平。去年同期，有885台活动钻机。

这使得石油钻机今年的数量减少208台，这是自2016年以来的首次年度下降。然而，根据贝克休斯追溯到1987年的数据，这一减少量远低于2015年创纪录的963台的减少量。

本月，钻机数量是13个月以来首次增加。

本季度，是自1999年当时连续第七个季度下降以来，钻机数量首次出现连续第四个季度下降。

本月之前，作为未来产量的早期指标的石油钻机数量连续12个月下降创历史新高，因为独立勘探和生产公司削减了新钻探的支出，股东在低能源价格环境中寻求更好的回报。

尽管今年钻探新井的钻机数量有所减少，但美国的石油产量仍在继续增加。部分原因是，在大多数大型页岩盆地，剩余钻机的生产率（每台钻机新油井的产量）已提高到创纪录的水平。但是，生产增长的速度已经放慢了。

美国能源信息署（Energy Information Administration）预测，原油日产量将从2018年创纪录的1,100万桶提高到2019年的每日1,230万桶和2020年的1,320万桶。

上周五，美国原油期货交易价格在每桶62美元左右，该合约有望在本周上涨，因为数据显示，美国原油库存跌幅超过预期，经济数据乐观。

展望未来，美国原油期货在2020年余下时间交易于每桶60美元左右，在2021年日历年每桶交易55美元左右，而2018年的均价为64.90美元。

迄今为止，美国活跃的石油和天然气钻机总数平均为943台。

与此同时，美国的天然气钻机数量保持不变，为125台，为2016年12月以来的最低水平。

 

郝芬 译自 海上工程

原文如下：

U.S. Drillers Add Rigs for First Month in 13

Offshore Engineer

27 Dec.2019

U.S. energy firms reduced the number of operating oil rigs for the first time in three weeks as producers follow through align="justify">Drillers cut 8 oil rigs in the week to Dec. 27, bringing the total count down to 677, the lowest since the week to Nov. 15, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report align="justify">In the same week a year ago, there were 885 active rigs.

That put the oil rig count down 208 for the year, its first annual decline since 2016. That reduction, however, is much smaller than the record 963 rigs cut in 2015, according to Baker Hughes data going back to 1987.

For the month, the rig count increased for the first time in 13.

For the quarter, the rig count fell for a fourth quarter in a row for the first time since 1999 when it dropped for a record seven consecutive quarters.

Before this month, the oil rig count, an early indicator of future output, dropped for a record 12 months in a row as independent exploration and production companies cut spending align="justify">Even though the number of rigs drilling new wells has fallen this year, U.S. oil output has continued to increase. In part this is because the productivity of remaining rigs - the amount of oil new wells produce per rig - has increased to record levels in most big shale basins.

The pace of production growth, however, has slowed.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projected crude output would rise to 12.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019 and 13.2 million bpd in 2020 from a record 11.0 million bpd in 2018.

U.S. crude futures traded around $62 per barrel align="justify">Looking ahead, U.S. crude futures were trading around $60 a barrel for the balance of 2020 and $55 for calendar 2021. That compares with an average of $64.90 in 2018.

Year-to-date, the total number of oil and gas rigs active in the United States has averaged 943. Most rigs produce both oil and gas.

The number of U.S. gas rigs, meanwhile, remained unchanged at 125, the lowest since Dec. 2016.