By JOHN P. TRETBAR
Eagle Media
The government shutdown has not had an effect on government energy reports. In an online announcement last week, the US Energy Information Administration said it will update its website, release publications and collect survey data as scheduled until further notice. According to the announcement, EIA will be able to operate for what was called "...a period of time during the lapse in appropriations."
US crude production in July was the best ever. The government reports total output rose to nearly 423 million barrels. That's over 13.6 million barrels a day. The Energy Information Administration reports Texas accounted for just over 5.8 million daily barrels. That's more than the next 12 states combined. New Mexico weighs in with 2.2 million barrels a day. North Dakota remains in the number-three slot with 1.17 million barrels a day. Kansas operators pumped 2.1 million barrels or 71-thousand barrels a day, which marks a slight increase over June.
The government reports an increase in commercial crude-oil inventories of 1.8 million barrels. The total is over 416 million. Stockpiles are about four percent below the five-year average for this time of year.
Operators of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve added 700,000 barrels this week, bringing the total over 406 million barrels. They've added more than 24 million refill barrels in the last year.
Fuel inventories rose this week. Deliveries of both regular gas and diesel are below the five-year average, signaling weak demand at the pump. Total commercial petroleum inventories are up by 6.4 million barrels from a week ago.
Kansas regulators okayed 54 new intent-to-drill notices in Kansas in September, the same as the month before but down by 83 intents from September last year. That's 596 intents so far this year. The Kansas Corporation Commission reports one new intent in Barton County, two in Ellis County, and one in Russell County.
Operators in The Sunflower State completed 12 wells this week with eight in Western Kansas including one in Stafford County. Independent Oil and Gas Service reports 862 well-completions so far this year, compared to over a thousand a year ago.
Kansas regulators okayed eight new drilling permits this week, all of them west of Wichita, including one in Ellis County and one in Gove County. That's 523 new drilling locations this year, compared to 813 last year at this time.
The Kansas Rig Count is up one in the eastern half of the state at five rigs, and up two in Western Kansas with ten. Independent Oil and Gas Service reports the statewide rig count is up 25% from last week, nearly 12 percent lower than last month, and more than 46% lower than a year ago.
Baker Hughes reports 549 active drilling rigs this week, which is unchanged from last week. The count in Texas is down two rigs. Wyoming and Pennsylvania are each down one. Operations offshore, as well as on land in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Utah are each up one rig.
Crude imports dropped more than half a million barrels a day to just over 5.8 million. Crude exports dropped under four million barrels a day after topping five million two weeks ago. The US is a net crude importer by two million barrels a day, and a net refined-products exporter at over five million.
Oil and gas employment in Texas continues to rise, with twist. The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) reports oil and gas extraction employment dropped by 200 jobs. But TIPRO reports an increase of 400 jobs in the services sector. That adds up to a workforce of more than 205,000 all told, and a net gain of 200 jobs.