能源服务公司贝克休斯在 8 月 4 日备受关注的报告中表示，美国能源公司本周连续第八周削减了运营的石油钻井平台数量。

截至 8 月 4 日当周，石油和天然气钻井平台总数（未来产量的早期指标）减少了 5 座，至 659 座，为 2022 年 3 月以来的最低水平。

这也是过去 14 周内钻探人员第 13 次削减钻机。

贝克休斯表示，这使得钻机总数比去年同期减少了 105 座，即 14%。

美国石油钻井平台数量本周减少 4 座，至 525 座，连续第八周下降至 2022 年 3 月以来的最低水平，而天然气钻井平台则稳定在 128 座。

发布自己的钻机数量数据的数据提供商Enverus表示，截至 8 月 2 日当周，钻井公司增加了 13 台钻机，使钻机总数达到 724 台。尽管如此，上个月钻机总数仍减少了约 1 台，下降了 16%一年又一年。

美国石油期货在过去六周内上涨，继 2022 年上涨约 7% 后，今年迄今已上涨约 4%。与此同时，美国天然气期货在上涨约 20% 后，今年迄今已暴跌约 43%去年。

天然气价格下跌导致先锋自然资源公司和德文能源公司等一些页岩油生产商紧缩预算，并警告称未来几个月钻探和完井活动将减少。

尽管有一些减少钻机数量的计划，但金融服务公司 TD Cowen 追踪的独立勘探和生产公司在 2022 年和 2021 年分别增加了约 40% 和 4% 的支出后，预计 2023 年支出将比 2022 年增加约 19%。

然而，5月份美国原油产量降至1266万桶/日，为2月份以来的最低水平，

能源情报署本周的数据显示，价格下跌和钻探活动放缓的迹象最终导致产量达到顶峰并下降。

根据 EIA 的数据，尽管天然气价格下降，美国 48 个州的 5 月份产量仍增加了 7 亿立方英尺/日 (Bcfd)，达到创纪录的 115.0 Bcfd，超过了 4 月份创下的 114.3 Bcfd 的历史新高。

U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil rigs operating for an eighth week in a row, energy services firm Baker Hughes said in its closely followed report on August 4.

The combined oil and natural gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by five to 659 in the week to Aug. 4, the lowest since March 2022.

That was also the 13th time in the last 14 weeks that drillers cut rigs.

Baker Hughes said that puts the total rig count down 105, or 14%, below this time last year.

U.S. oil rigs fell four to 525 this week, dropping for an eighth week in a row to their lowest since March 2022, while gas rigs held steady at 128.

Data provider Enverus, which publishes its own rig count data, said drillers added 13 rigs in the week ended Aug. 2, boosting the total to 724. Nevertheless, the overall count was still down about one rig in the last month and down 16% year-over-year.

U.S. oil futures have rallied over the past six weeks and were now up about 4% so far this year, after gaining about 7% in 2022. U.S. gas futures, meanwhile, have plunged about 43% so far this year after rising about 20% last year.

That drop in gas prices has caused some shale producers like Pioneer Natural Resources and Devon Energy to tighten budgets and warn of lower drilling and completion activity in coming months.

Despite some plans to lower rig counts, the independent exploration and production companies tracked by financial services firm TD Cowen were on track to boost spending by about 19% in 2023 versus 2022 after increasing spending about 40% in 2022 and 4% in 2021.

U.S. crude oil production, however, fell to 12.66 million barrels per day in May, the lowest since February,

Energy Information Administration data showed this week, a sign lower prices and a slowdown in drilling activity are finally causing output to peak and turn down.

Despite lower gas prices, production in the U.S. Lower 48 states rose 0.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) to a record 115.0 Bcfd in May, according to the EIA, topping the prior all-time high of 114.3 Bcfd in April.