Drilling activity in the US increased in 2022
US oil and gas output on the rise
Surging crude prices prompted increased drilling activity last year, but debt and financing issues constrained growth
Drilling activity in the US increased by 51.3pc on an average yearly basis in 2022, driving crude production up to 11.9mn bl/d and marking a 6.4pc increase compared with the 11.2mn bl/d averaged in 2021. The increased output was augmented by US companies completing a large backlog of drilled-but-uncompleted (Duc) wells in two major oil shale basins. WTI started 2022 at $83.22/bl and climbed steadily throughout the year, despite rising interest rates, fears of economic recession and restricted Russian supply caused by the war in Ukraine. Crude prices hit a 15-year high in June 2022, at $114.84/bl, before falling back down and ending the year at $76.44/bl. The surge in commodity prices caused
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation
