U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for the first time in six weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on Friday.
The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by 5 to 584 in the week to Jan. 10, the lowest since November.
In past weeks, the rig count remained unchanged for a record four times in a row.
Baker Hughes said this week’s decline puts the total rig count down 35 rigs, or 6% below this time last year.
Baker Hughes said oil rigs fell by two to 480 this week, their lowest since November, while gas rigs fell by three to 100, also the lowest since November.
The oil and gas rig count declined by about 5% in 2024 and 20% in 2023 as lower U.S. oil and gas prices over the past couple of years prompted energy firms to focus more on paying down debt and boosting shareholder returns rather than raising output.
Even though analysts forecast U.S. spot crude prices could 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 13.5 million bpd in 2025.
On the gas side, the EIA projected a 35% increase in spot gas 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.
EIA projected gas output would rise to 103.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025, up from 103.2 bcfd in 2024 but below the record high of 103.8 bcfd in 2023.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Nia Williams)