Conoco Liquids Up 22% in Lower 48 Thanks to Eagle Ford

Liquids production volumes from Conoco Phillips' (COP) Lower 48 assets increased by 22% year-over-year thanks largely to the Eagle Ford and the Bakken, company officials reported in their second quarter 2014 report at the end of July.

COP production grew by 38% year-over-year to 208,000 boe/d in the Eagle Ford Shale and Bakken Shale plays combined. That's ~39% of the company's total production for its Lower 48 asset portfolio. In the Eagle Ford alone, production grew 12% quarter-on-quarter from 140,000 boe/d to 157,000 boe/d. However, company officials expect for the rate of growth to slow in both plays in the second half of the year due to multi-pad drilling effects and weather-related issues in the fourth quarter.

“We expect to have multi pad drilling effects and are anticipating winter weather impacts in the fourth quarter. So the rate of growth will slow in the second half of the year. The net effect of this is we are still on track to achieve our 2014 volume targets for both the Eagle Ford and Bakken but we do expect rates to flatten in third and fourth quarters and then begin to ramp up as we head in to 2015.”

— Conoco's EVP, Exploration and Production Matt Fox

Conoco Doesn't Have Plans to Apply for Permit to Export Eagle Ford Condensate

Despite advocating for condensate and crude oil exports, COP management indicated in the company's second quarter conference call on July 31st that it would not apply with the U.S. Commerce Department (U.S. DoC) for a permit to export Eagle Ford condensate.

Recently, the U.S. Commerce Department granted permission to certain companies to export minimally processed Eagle Ford condensate, which it considers a refined product. The oil export ban, which has been in place for nearly forty years does not limit the export of refined products. Just last week, BHP Billiton, a major Eagle Ford producer, applied with the U.S. DoC for an export permit.

“The larger issue we are having in North America is growing light oil production and the feasibility or the capacity being used up in the refining sector to really absorb. Right now we’re getting most of our condensate to the Gulf Coast putting it on ships and getting it around.”

— CEO, Ryan Lance

Lance continued, saying if the company saw an advantage to applying for a similar permit to those recently issued, the company would approach the U.S. DoC.