"The U.S. shale boom is turning into
a bust for companies that provide drilling services as the
number of rigs seeking natural gas has fallen faster than any
time in the last 24 years ... The overall U.S. onshore rig count has dropped 9 percent
this year, seeing the most sustained declines since the
recession-led plunge in 2009 ... As producers shift production to oil, the number of working
gas rigs has fallen 48 percent this year to 422, the fastest
decline rate since Baker Hughes Inc. began tracking the count in
1988. Even in oil drilling, where gains have helped counter
losses in gas, the rig count has flattened, falling below 1400
this month for the first time since June ... Equipment now exceeds
demand by 30 percent, measured by the amount of horsepower
available to drive the fracturing process, with about 15.6
million horsepower competing to meet demand for 12 million ... High service costs have combined with lower gas prices to
shrink cash flow for producers ... The shift to oil may be the biggest factor contributing to
the slump in demand, Schlumberger Chief Executive Officer Paal Kibsgaard told analysts and investors ... Fracking an
oil well requires less horsepower than the more intense gas
wells that have higher pressure ... The current pain from
falling prices is compounded by the amount of investment in
equipment that’s now idled."
Ein Artikel von David Wethe über den starken Rückgang von Bohrungen in den USA nach Erdgas aus dichtem Tongestein hin zu lukrativeren Tight Oil-Plays, ungenutztem Bohrgerät und sinkenden Gewinnen. Erschienen auf Bloomberg (15. Oktober 2012).
