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
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat






