Letter from Houston: Lower 48 outlook strengthening
Climbing commodity prices and rampant drilling activity are lifting shale production guidance
The US onshore industry received a shot in the arm this year with oil markets remaining close to the $80/bl mark, driven by expectations of stable demand growth and economic activity steadily ramping up around the world. The horizontal oil rig count is up by nearly 130pc from a year earlier, and current prices make drilling economic across most onshore regions. While the top-producing Permian basin remains the most active play by far, south Texas’ Eagle Ford, the Bakken, the DJ and Powder River basin and other positions have all seen a steady clip of expansion, boosting their contribution to the country’s onshore operations. The number of active counties (counties with at least one horizonta

Also in this section
12 June 2025
Asian and European interest gathers pace as Trump throws his weight behind frontier state
12 June 2025
The government is optimistic that increasing offshore activity and exploration will help revive flagging production, despite energy security fears
12 June 2025
Tariffs, AI, critical minerals and emerging markets all raise fundamental policy questions