Oil and Gas Investor Magazine - December 2018

Cover Story

Vision 2019: Oil And Gas Headwinds, Tailwinds

Pundits weigh in on whether the stars will align for a successful 2019 and how the oil and gas industry can navigate the headwinds and tailwinds ahead.

Feature

Could U.S. Shale Operators Dig Up More Cash?

U.S. shale operators have become more efficient, but there is still room for improvement, an energy consulting firm says.

Executive Q&A: The Digital Oil Ambassador

Google Cloud’s Darryl Willis is leveraging his oil and gas experience as a geophysicist with BP to bridge the digital divide between industry and the inevitable transition to artificial intelligence.

Fortune And Glory: 2019 Shale M&A Horoscope

Analysts, experts and industry observers size up M&A for the Permian, Marcellus, Stack and Powder River Basin and take a look at what the tea leaves portend for 2019.

Haynesville Thriving On Capital Efficiency

Stratas Advisors sees regional gas production from the Haynesville rising in 2019 as new entrants apply practices honed in other shale plays.

Oil Market: Searching For A Balance

Other key producers can help offset Iranian sanctions, but balancing global oil markets hinges mainly on Saudi Arabia’s spare capacity. How much is it?

Oilfield Services: Is It Back?

The oilfield service sector is making a comeback, energy analysts say. However, investors remain wary of the industry that bottomed out in 2016 when oil prices slumped.

Revenue Recognition

As companies assess their growth trajectories, corporate leadership needs to exercise sound judgment regarding adoption of a new revenue standard—and how it can impact the value of oil and gas assets.

Staving Off Shareholder Activists

If an activist investor comes calling to urge big changes, here’s how to handle the situation.

A&D Trends

Taking Stock

The more detailed a Permian Basin acreage map is, the more it resembles a Jackson Pollock painting rendered on a Lite-Brite.

At Closing

Crystal Ball For 2019

This month we take a look at the vision observers have for the U.S. oil and gas industry in 2019.

E&P Momentum

A Pause In Completion Momentum

Remember when rig count was the main barometer for oil and gas activity? It now appears well stimulation activity is adding a new wrinkle to industry metrics. While it is not hard to find stimulation fleet counts, it is difficult to find two that agree. Consequently, earnings commentary from publicly held stimulation firms has become an activity proxy.

From the Editor-in-Chief

The Truth About Permian Curtailment

While the Midland-to-Cushing oil price differential blew out to as high as $16 per barrel (bbl) over the summer, and still stands at about $10 in early November, it’s not why you might think. It’s not about pipeline constraints—yet, according to Midland producer and resident Steve Pruett. Speculators and a media frenzy are to blame for low oil prices in the Permian Basin.

On the Money

Walking The Walk … In The Dark

When stock markets are down sharply, a common phrase of encouragement is that “it’s darkest before the dawn.” But what if, as day dawns, the sun sheds little light on the investing landscape? What if historical norms no longer apply, traditional trends are reset and veteran industry players seem to be throwing in the towel?