US drillers add oil and gas rigs for third week in a row, Baker Hughes says

By Scott DiSavino

Sept 19 (Reuters) - U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for a third week in a row for the first time since February, energy services firm Baker Hughes BKR.O said in its closely followed report on Friday.

The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by three to 542 in the week to September 19, its highest since July. BHGUSWTT, BHGUSOILDRLW, BHGUSGASDRLW

Despite this week's rig increase, Baker Hughes said the total count was still down 46 rigs, or 8% below this time last year.

Baker Hughes said oil rigs rose by two to 418 this week, their highest since July, while gas rigs held steady at 118.

In the Denver-Julesburg (DJ)- Niobrara shale in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas, drillers added two rigs this week, boosting the count to 11, the highest since April 2024.

In Colorado, meanwhile, drillers added two rigs this week, boosting the count to 14, the most since August 2024.

The oil and gas rig count declined by about 5% in 2024 and 20% in 2023 as lower U.S. oil CLc1 and gas NGc1 prices over the past couple of years prompted energy firms to focus more on boosting shareholder returns and paying down debt rather than increasing output.

The independent exploration and production (E&P) companies tracked by U.S. financial services firm TD Cowen said they planned to cut capital expenditures by around 4% in 2025 from levels seen in 2024.

That compares with roughly flat year-over-year spending in 2024, increases of 27% in 2023, 40% in 2022, and 4% in 2021.

Even though analysts forecast U.S. spot crude prices would decline for a third year in a row in 2025, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projected crude output would rise from a record 13.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2024 to around 13.4 million bpd in 2025.

On the gas side, the EIA projected a 61% increase in spot gas NG-W-HH-SNL prices in 2025 would prompt producers to boost drilling activity this year after a 14% price drop in 2024 caused several energy firms to cut output for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic reduced demand for the fuel in 2020. NGAS/POLL

The EIA projected gas output would rise to 106.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025, up from 103.2 bcfd in 2024 and a record 103.6 bcfd in 2023.