Quarterly / Earnings Reports | First Quarter (1Q) Update | Drilling Program-Rig Count
Exxon Reports Q1 2018 Financial Results; 31 Rigs Active in Permian, Bakken
Exxon reported its Q1 2018 financial results.
Highlights:
- Development of the company’s U.S. unconventional acreage is progressing with 27 operated rigs in the Permian and four operated rigs in the Bakken. Permian and Bakken unconventional production has experienced 18 percent growth year-over-year.
Upstream:
- Crude and natural gas prices strengthened in the first quarter. ExxonMobil’s crude realizations were impacted by an increased discount in Western Canada, notably for heavy crudes, as Canadian supply exceeded pipeline and rail capacity. The logistics constraints in Canada supported the decision to accelerate Syncrude turnaround activities into the first quarter.
- Natural gas prices were supported by strong seasonal demand with colder weather across Europe and the U.S. and higher crude-linked LNG prices.
- As expected, higher prices reduced entitlement volumes.
- Following a severe earthquake in Papua New Guinea on February 26, operations at the PNG LNG project were temporarily shut down while the company responded with humanitarian relief for impacted communities and worked to fully restore operations. The project safely resumed LNG production ahead of schedule in mid-April. The impact of the earthquake reduced earnings by $80 million and production by 25,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day.
- The Hebron field in Canada, which started up last year, has ramped up to produce 14,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day in the first quarter with well performance exceeding expectations.
More First Quarter (1Q) Update News

Gulfport Touts Super Long Lateral and Strategic Pivot To Gas Asset
Gulfport Energy Corporation kicked off 2025 with a quarter of operational precision, pricing strength, and clear strategic intent — setting the stage for a transformative year ahead. From…

Civitas Provides Update on Current Rigs & Frac Crews
Second Quarter Outlook The Company has reiterated its full year guidance for 2025. For the second quarter, Civitas anticipates approximately five percent oil volume growth at the midpoint…

NuVista Energy – 2025 Capital Program and Operating Momentum
NuVista enters 2025 with strong operational momentum following a record 2024 and a balance sheet that affords both growth and shareholder returns. The Company has reaffirmed its ~$450…

Large Permian E&P Talks 1Q'24; 282 Wells Planned for 2024
Diamondback Energy provided an update to it's first quarter 2024. Let's first take a look at the development plan. The company program remains unchanged, and one can expect…

CNX Resources Cut Frac Activity 50%, Talks 1st Quarter Activity
CNX Resources a marcellus operator provided an update on its first quarter 2024 activity. Activity quick Read - Reduced to 1 rig - Reduced from dedicated frac crew…
Permian News

Why $90 Oil Isn’t Bringing Back the Rigs
Higher oil prices are not translating cleanly into a drilling response across U.S. shale, and company disclosures are starting to show why. The issue is not simply capital…

These Three Companies Will Increase Drilling & Completion Over The Next 3 Year
In the span of fifteen months, three Japanese energy companies committed more than $10.3 billion to U.S. natural gas production assets — a buying spree that has transferred…

Q1 A&D Transactions Jump to $30B , While Deal Flow Was Down 40%
The first quarter of 2026 has officially defined the "Barbell Era" of American oil and gas. While the total number of deals plummeted by 46% YoY (dropping to…

Wright to U.S. Oil Industry: The Price Signal Is Telling You to Drill
Energy Secretary Chris Wright stood in front of the largest gathering of oil executives in the world this morning and delivered a message that was equal parts market…

Apa Corp : Doing More With Less
APA's 2025 narrative was one of operational surprise. The company came in beating production guidance every single quarter while spending below plan, capturing over $300MM in cost savings…
Williston Basin News

Permian Resources to Grow Production 6% in 2026
Permian Resources exited 2025 as the largest pure-play Delaware Basin operator with ~480,000 net acres and >105,000 net royalty acres. The company averaged 392.6 MBoe/d in 2025, including…

Battalion Oil Closes ~$60M West Quito Draw Asset Sale
Battalion Oil Corporation has closed the sale of its West Quito Draw assets in the Southern Delaware Basin to MCM Delaware Resources LLC, a subsidiary of MCM Energy…

Deal Rumor: ConocoPhillips Exploring $2B Permian Asset Sale
ConocoPhillips is reportedly exploring the potential sale of certain Permian Basin assets in a transaction valued at approximately $2 billion, according to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the…

This Operator Will Chop it's 2026 Rig Count From 34 to 24
ConocoPhillips is setting up 2026 as a lower-intensity, more efficient operating year — with the clearest proof coming from the Lower 48 activity reset following the Marathon integration.…

A Quiet Capital Pattern Is Forming in North American Upstream — and Almost No One Is Talking About It
A handful of recent transactions and capital raises point to a subtle pattern in North American upstream—one that is easy to miss because each event, on its own,…