ConocoPhillips Announces Capex Reduction in 2015

December 10, 2014 Kirk Eggleston

This week Houston-based oil giant ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) announced its 2015 capital budget of $13.5-billion, a decrease of 20% over 2014. It's a sign that major oil companies are taking lower oil prices seriously, but it doesn't change the company's focus in the Eagle Ford and Bakken Shale. In 2015, about $5.0 billion will be allocated toward development drilling programs, compared to $6.5 billion in 2014. According to COP officials, Lower 48 development program capital will continue to target the Eagle Ford and Bakken, while significant investment spending will be deferred in emerging North American unconventional plays, including the Permian, Niobrara, Montney and and Duvernay.

Conoco officials also indicated the budget decrease is reflective of lower spending on major projects, several of which are nearing completion.

“We are setting our 2015 capital budget at a level that we believe is prudent given the current environment,” said Conoco’s CEO Ryan Lance. “This plan demonstrates our focus on cash flow neutrality and a competitive dividend, while maintaining our financial strength. We are fortunate to have significant flexibility in our capital program. Spending on several major projects has peaked and we will get the benefit of production uplift from those projects over the next few years. In addition, we identified inventory in the unconventionals, where we also retain a high degree of capital flexibility.”

Despite the cut, the company expects to produce about 3% more in 2015 from continuing operations, excluding Libya.

Warwick Energy Closes Deal for 7,300 Net Eagle Ford Acres

June 17, 2014 Kirk Eggleston

Oklahoma-based Warwick Energy announced in June of 2014 that the company closed its purchase of R/C Sugarkane LLC, an Eagle Ford upstream oil and gas company, last month.

At closing, Warwick Energy gained R/C Sugarkane's 7,300 net Eagle Ford acres, with current production of ~1,200 net boe/d in Live Oak, Atascosa and Karnes counties. The deal also included R/C Sugarkane's gathering and other related midstream infrastructure in the play. In April of 2014, Warwick announced it agreed to purchase R/C Sugarkane from affiliates of a New York-based private equity firm, Riverstone Holdings LLC, for an undisclosed amount.

According to Warwick officials, the operators of the acquired acreage are ConocoPhillips, Marathon and BHP Billiton. Warwick officials say they are encouraged by downspacing results and optimizations being achieved by these operators.

“The Eagle Ford Shale is a world class, liquids-rich resource play and through this acquisition we have acquired a multi-year drilling inventory that is both substantially de-risked and held by production.”

— Warwick CEO, Katherine Richard

Warwick was founded in 2010, and manages non-operated oil and gas interests across the country, with interests in over 5,000 wells in 13 states. The R/C Sugarkane acquisition will be funded by ArcLight Capital Partners affiliated equity investors.

Eagle Ford Shale Rig Count Decreases By Four to 263

April 21, 2014 Kirk Eggleston

The Eagle Ford Shale rig count decreased by four to 263 rigs running across our coverage area by the end of last week.

In recent Eagle Ford news, ConocoPhillips increased its Eagle Ford reserve estimates in early April 2014 by 39% from 1.8 billion to 2.5 billion bbls of oil in place. Company officials say production is expected to exceed 250,000 boe/d in the Eagle Ford by 2017. That’s nearly 100,000 more BOE than the company’s target goal at the end of 2013.

The U.S. rig count stayed flat at 1831 rigs running by the end of last week. A total of 316 rigs were targeting natural gas (6 more than the previous week) and 1,510 were targeting oil in the U.S. (7 less than the previous week). The remainder were drilling service wells (e.g. disposal wells, injection wells, etc.). 884or ~48% of rigs active in the U.S. were running in Texas.

Baker Hughes rig count is quoted here. Baker Hughes also releases its own Eagle Ford Rig Count that covers the 14 core counties (217 rigs). The rig count published on EagleFordShale.com includes a 30 county area impacted by Eagle Ford development. A full list of the counties included can be found in the table near the bottom of this article.

Eagle Ford Oil & Gas Rigs

The natural gas rig count remained flat at 16 rigs running by the end of last week. Average rig counts for natural gas production in 2012 were around 82 and then dropped to around 41 in 2013. Natural gas prices stayed relatively flat from last week at $4.76/mmbtu on Friday afternoon.

The oil rig count decreased by 4 to 247 rigs running by the end of last week. WTI oil prices increased slightly, trading at $104.35/bbl on Friday afternoon. Eagle Ford light crude traded at $100.75/bbl on April 17th.

A total of 229 rigs are drilling horizontal wells, 21 rigs are drilling directional wells, and 13 rigs are drilling vertical wells. Karnes, La Salle, Dimmit, McMullen and Webb counties each have at minimum 25 rigs running. Karnes County has the highest rig count this week at 29. See the full list below in the Eagle Ford Shale Drilling by County:

South Texas Oil & Gas News:

Be sure to visit our South Texas Oilfield Job Listings to search openings and come back weekly for updates.

Eagle Ford Shale Drilling by Count

Eagle Ford Operated Rig Count By Company

SmithBits no longer reports its operated rig count, but we'll have updated number for you from a new source soon. Until then, you can reference our numbers from mid-April. There has not been a significant change in the overall rig count since this date:

What is the Rig Count?

The Eagle Ford Shale Rig Count is an index of the total number of oil & gas drilling rigs running across a 30 county area in South Texas. The South Texas rigs referred to in this article are for ALL drilling reported by Baker Hughes and not solely wells targeting the Eagle Ford formation. All land rigs and onshore rig data shown here are based upon industry estimates provided by the Baker Hughes Rig Count and/or Smith Service Co's (Schlumberger) Smith Rig Count.

ConocoPhillips Raises Eagle Ford Reserve Estimates By 39% to 2.5 Billion BOE

April 15, 2014 Kirk Eggleston

ConocoPhillips increased its Eagle Ford reserve estimates in early April 2014 by 39% from 1.8 billion to 2.5 billion bbls of oil in place. Company officials say production is expected to exceed 250,000 boe/d in the Eagle Ford by 2017. That's nearly 100,000 more BOE than the company's target goal at the end of 2013.

“ConocoPhillips’ wells in the Eagle Ford have the highest oil rates per well and are leading the industry in value. This is attributable not only to the fact that we are in the best part of the play, but also to our relentless focus on technical innovation and drilling and completion cost efficiencies,” Lance said. “We are applying these benefits and efficiencies across our unconventional portfolio in the Bakken, Permian, Niobrara, Canada, and outside of North America.”

— ConocoPhillips CEO, Ryan Lance

ConocoPhillips' Eagle Ford acreage is in a prime part of the Eagle Ford, with much of it centered in Karnes and Live Oak counties. The company has 221 M net acres across its' Eagle Ford portfolio, with more than 3,000 identified drilling locations. ConocoPhillips' has a 96% average operated working interest in its Eagle Ford wells.

In 2014, ConcoPhillips plans to spend $4.3 billion on the Bakken, Eagle Ford and Niobrara Shale. Drilling costs and completion costs have decreased by 37% and 41% consecutively since 2010 in the Eagle Ford.

ConocoPhillips' Highlights

ConocoPhillips pushes Eagle Ford reserves estimates up 39% to 2.5 billion bbls of oil in place
ConocoPhillips predicts 250,000 boe/d by 2017
More than 3,000 prospective drilling locations identified
Drilling and completion costs down 37% and 41% consecutively

ConocoPhillips Eagle Ford Production Up 58% to 141,000 boe/d in Q4 2013

February 5, 2014 Kirk Eggleston

ConocoPhillips' Eagle Ford Shale production was 141,000 boe/d in the fourth-quarter of 2013, surpassing fourth quarter 2012 production from the formation by 58%. The Lower 48 and Latin America accounted for ~28% of the company's total production.

ConocoPhillips Close to Hitting Projected Growth Targets in the Eagle Ford

In the fourth quarter of 2012, Conoco's Eagle Ford production averaged 70,000 boe/d, but grew rapidly in Q4 2012 to 100,000 boe/d. In December of 2013, Conoco announced a five year plan to invest $8 billion in the Eagle Ford and grow production to almost 150,000 boe/d by 2017.

Conoco will likely reach its goal of 150,000 boe/d from the Eagle Ford sometime in 2014 or almost three years earlier than planned.

ConocoPhillips Capital Budget in Unconventional Drilling

In 2014, Conoco will spend ~$9 billion on its North American operations. Approximately $4.3 billion will be focused on the Bakken, Eagle Ford and Niobrara Shale. In 2013, Conoco's production in the Eagle Ford, Bakken and Permian grew 31% from ~167,000 boe/d in the fourth-quarter of 2012 to ~218,000 boe/d in 2013.

Eagle Ford Contribution to Conoco's Reserves

The growth in unconventional drilling has contributed greatly to Conoco's reserves.

“2013 was a significant year for the company and we achieved several important, strategic milestones... [the company] achieved conventional and unconventional exploration success... [and] our capital program yielded strong organic reserve replacement.”

— CEO Ryan Lance

In 2013, Conoco added 470 million boe in Lower 48, primarily in liquids-rich shale plays, including the Eagle Ford and Bakken.

ConocoPhillips Production in 2013 and Plans Moving Forward at a Glance

ConocoPhillips Eagle Ford Shale Q4 production up ~58% from 2012 to 141,000 boe/d
~ 28% of ConocoPhillips Lower 48 Production is in Bakken
$4.3 billion will be focused on the Bakken, Eagle Ford and Niobrara Shale in 2014
470 million boe in Lower 48 reserves added in 2013, primarily in liquids-rich shale plays, including the Eagle Ford and Bakken
31% production growth in Bakken, Eagle Ford and Permian to ~218,000 boe/d in Q4 2013