EIA: US shale oil output to fall 116,000 b/d in January

Crude oil production in January from seven major US shale plays is expected to drop 116,000 b/d to 4.86 million b/d, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s latest Drilling Productivity Report (DPR). The agency last month projected a 118,000-b/d decline for December (OGJ Online, Nov. 9, 2015).

The DPR focuses on the Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara, Permian, and Utica, which altogether accounted for 95% of US oil production increases and all US natural gas production increases during 2011-13.

Consistent with the trend since shale oil production began falling last spring, the Eagle Ford is expected to represent a bulk of the decline, down 77,000 b/d to 1.2 million b/d. EIA also projects the Bakken to drop 27,000 b/d to about 1.1 million b/d, and Niobrara to drop 24,000 b/d to 344,000 b/d.

Double-digit growth is again expected in the Permian, which EIA sees rising 14,000 b/d to about 2.4 million b/d.