Oilfield service pricing moving higher cyclically is a good thing for all our readers (including operators, for current pricing is unsustainable and will destroy capacity in the long run). That said, we stand at a tricky juncture in the cycle for oilfield service company decision makers trying to reset their …
Read More »As 2017 E&P Budgets Kick In, Permian Rig Count Sizzles
After a brush back in the second week of the year, the US land rig count surged ahead last week. 2017 E&P budgets and drilling programs are kicking in and we expect continued strength over the next 4-6 weeks. Take out a free trial below to see our full analysis of …
Read More »8 Quick Trends To Listen For During Oilfield Service Conference Calls This Earnings Season
Schlumberger kicks off 4Q earnings season this week, hosting a conference call Friday morning to discuss the 2017 outlook. During the fourth quarter, a cyclical inflection point materialized in the US onshore market. A key question during the calls this earnings season will be how sustainable the cyclical growth trajectory …
Read More »Sometimes You Need To Take A Breather
Nothing can go up and to the right forever, especially not the rig count. The US onshore rig count fell back by six units this week. This break is actually a good thing and we explain why and break down the weekly rig count in in this post. There’s a …
Read More »A December To Remember – The Biggest US Drilling Gain In Three Decades
US land drillers sent 2016 packing with a bang. Since May, the drilling recovery has looked exceptionally strong on a percentage basis. The December trend looked exceptionally strong on an absolute basis too with 65 US rigs returning to work. December 2016 delivered the best absolute rig count increase of …
Read More »2016 US Land Rig Retirements Slowed Rapidly And Other Highlights From NOV’s Rig Census
Each winter, we look forward to unwrapping the annual rig census report released by National Oilwell Varco. With it’s uniquely comprehensive rig market history, the report provides good perspective on the competitive landscape for drilling rigs around the world. There were no surprises on the demand side this year – …
Read More »A Key Difference In The Industry’s 2nd BOP Outsourcing Deal Makes It Transformative
It’s fair to say that the blow out preventer (BOP) business model is being re-shaped as we write. 10 months ago, GE and Diamond introduced a new BOP arrangement to the marketplace – one that transfers up-time responsibility to the OEM. This week, the largest BOP supplier moved to implement …
Read More »The Sharpest Drilling Rebound In US History Is Happening Right Now
The US land drilling market is exiting the worst downturn in history. Why not follow that with the sharpest rebound ever? That is exactly what is happening now. Since bottoming about 30 weeks ago, the US rig count has increased 60%. The 1985 recovery outpaced this one for 25 weeks before falling back. The only …
Read More »FRAC IPOs Return… Literally. Meet The Next Public Completions Outfit
Frac IPOs are back. We mean that literally because the company about to make its public debut will trade under the ticker FRAC. This week, Keane Group Inc., owner of the 7th largest US frac fleet and employer of 1,251, filed an S-1 for a potential IPO. The company is …
Read More »Ignore The Paper Tiger At The Vienna Circus. Focus On These Five Trends Instead
There’s an OPEC meeting this week, have you heard? In a Google News scan Monday morning, we counted more than 100 articles about OPEC published in the last 24 hours alone. Enough will be written this week about the pageantry in Vienna to fill a small library. Endless speculation leading up …
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