EIA: US shale oil output to drop 114,000 b/d in May

Crude oil production in May from the seven major US shale regions is expected to fall 114,000 b/d month-over-month to 4.84 million b/d, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s latest Drilling Productivity Report (DPR).

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

More than half of the total decline is expected to come from the Eagle Ford, which is forecast to fall 62,000 b/d to 1.18 million b/d. The Bakken is projected to drop 31,000 b/d to 1.05 million b/d, and the Niobrara is projected to decrease 16,000 b/d to 404,000 b/d.

For the second straight month, EIA anticipates a decline in the Permian. With a forecast drop of 4,000 b/d, output from the basin is to total 2.03 million b/d.

New-well oil production/rig in May across the seven regions is expected to fall by a rig-weighted average of 9 b/d to 532 b/d.

Gas production from the regions is forecast to shed 491 MMcfd during the month to average 45.93 bcfd, led by a 213-MMcfd loss in the Eagle Ford to 6.19 bcfd. The Niobrara is seen down 83 MMcfd to 4.13 bcfd, Haynesville down 63 MMcfd to 6.04 bcfd, and Marcellus down 60 MMcfd to 17.28 bcfd.