Growing pains for the Permian
The Permian is primed for years of booming production—if a range of infrastructure problems can be solved
Vast tight oil reserves, improving fracking techniques and attractive economics are pulling in tens of billions of dollars of new investment. Output just passed 3m barrels a day, up 1m b/d in just 18 months, and much more is in the pipeline. The top four investors—ExxonMobil, Chevron, Pioneer Natural Resources and Concho Resources, which is trying to takeover RSP Permian in a $9.5bn deal—alone have mapped out production growth of more than 2m b/d of oil by the mid-2020s. The dozens of smaller companies operating in the basin have their own ambitious plans. "It's easy to plot a path to 7m b/d," Pioneer's chief executive Tim Dove told a gathering of investors at an event hosted by the Independ
Also in this section
12 December 2025
The federal government is working with Alberta to improve the country’s access to Asian markets and reduce dependence on the US, but there are challenges to their plans
12 December 2025
The latest edition of our annual Outlook publication, titled 'The shape of energy to come: Creating unique pathways and managing shifting alliances', is available now
11 December 2025
The removal of the ban on oil and gas exploration and an overhaul of the system sends all the right messages for energy security, affordability and sustainability
10 December 2025
The economic and environmental cost of the seven-year exploration ban will be felt long after its removal
