Decline in gas rigs forecast
US rig market set for subdued year
Analysts agree there will not be any great leap forward in US shale drilling in 2023
Consultancy Wood Mackenzie anticipates US onshore rig additions to be “considerably more modest this year” compared with 2022, with roughly only 50 rigs added throughout the year. And other analysts concur the market will be more subdued. Woodmac also forecasts some extent of decline in gas rigs owing to softening prices and production nearing takeaway limits. “The bulk of those reductions will likely come in the Haynesville, especially as some private companies lay down rigs,” says Ryan Duman, the firm’s research director for the Lower 48 upstream. “We are looking for major producers to continue reiterating the same messages of exercising strict capital discipline, focusing on cash flow gen
Also in this section
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
22 January 2026
As Saudi Arabia pushes mining as a new pillar of its economy, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrocarbons, minerals and industrial policy
22 January 2026
New long-term deal is latest addition to country’s rapidly evolving supply portfolio as it eyes role as regional gas hub
