Drilling activity in the US increased in 2022
US oil and gas output on the rise
Surging crude prices prompted increased drilling activity last year, but debt and financing issues constrained growth
Drilling activity in the US increased by 51.3pc on an average yearly basis in 2022, driving crude production up to 11.9mn bl/d and marking a 6.4pc increase compared with the 11.2mn bl/d averaged in 2021. The increased output was augmented by US companies completing a large backlog of drilled-but-uncompleted (Duc) wells in two major oil shale basins. WTI started 2022 at $83.22/bl and climbed steadily throughout the year, despite rising interest rates, fears of economic recession and restricted Russian supply caused by the war in Ukraine. Crude prices hit a 15-year high in June 2022, at $114.84/bl, before falling back down and ending the year at $76.44/bl. The surge in commodity prices caused
Also in this section
24 March 2026
It is an unusual story of out with the new and in with the old, as America First Refining shows the US going back to trusted energy security developments
23 March 2026
A complex and sometimes contradictory web of factors that include unpredictable oil prices, the globalisation of LNG markets, the expansion of Middle Eastern sovereign capital and the growth of datacentre demand will shape the energy landscape beyond 2026
23 March 2026
The Strait of Hormuz crisis highlights how key waterways can become global chokepoints
20 March 2026
Attacks on key oil and LNG assets across the Gulf mean a prolonged supply disruption, with damage to Qatar’s export capacity undermining confidence in the global gas system
