據彭博新聞社2021年3月25日休斯敦報道，美國達拉斯聯邦儲備銀行日前進行的最新調查的結果顯示，由于在去年原油價格出現歷史性暴跌以后鉆井活動開始增加，美國頁巖勘探公司開始看到頁巖成本上升的跡象。

近100家美國頁巖生產商的高管們在達拉斯聯邦儲備銀行舉辦的最新季度調查中表示，要想有利地鉆一口新井需要的油價是每桶52美元。與去年此時相比，這個數字增長了6%。為了彌補現有井的成本，頁巖勘探公司需要每桶31美元的油價，這比去年增加了3%。3月24日，西德克薩斯中質原油期貨價格約為每桶60美元。

盡管在向股東返還現金的壓力下，美國頁巖勘探公司誓言要保持克制，但由于油價在去年新冠肺炎疫情大流行導致的需求崩潰以后反彈，頁巖盆地正在重新煥發生機。由于油田服務巨頭斯倫貝謝公司、貝克休斯公司和哈里伯頓公司將重心轉向海外市場，美國國內鉆井和完井的承包商數量減少，鉆井活動也隨之增加。

達拉斯聯邦儲備銀行周三發布的報告引用了一名身份不明的調查受訪者的話說，“過去一年供應商和其他服務的流失將導致鉆井作業無法及時完成”。

在接受調查的油田服務高管中，超過四分之三的高管表示，他們預計今年油田服務的價格將會上漲。盡管過去幾個月在用鉆機數一直在穩步恢復，但迄今仍只有去年年初水平的一半左右。

報告稱，在連續7個季度出現裁員的負面數據后，達拉斯聯邦儲備銀行的就業指數在今年第一季度轉為正值，這主要是受油田服務公司的推動。

李峻 編譯自 彭博新聞社

原文如下：

Poll Shows Uptick in Shale Costs

Explorers in the U.S. shale patch are starting to see signs of higher costs as drilling begins to ramp up after last year’s historic crude crash, according to the latest poll conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The oil price needed to profitably drill a new well is $52 a barrel, executives from almost 100 producers said in the bank’s latest quarterly survey. That’s an increase of 6%, compared with when the question was asked last year. To cover costs on existing wells, companies need $31, which is 3% more than than last year. West Texas Intermediate crude futures traded at about $60 on Wednesday.

Though explorers have vowed restraint amid pressure to return cash to shareholders, shale basins are rumbling back to life as oil prices rebound after last year’s pandemic-driven collapse in demand. The activity boost comes as oilfield service giants Schlumberger, Baker Hughes Co. and Halliburton Co. are pivoting toward greater growth abroad, leaving fewer contractors to drill and complete U.S. wells.

“The loss of suppliers and other services this past year will cause problems in being able to get work accomplished in a timely manner,” an unidentified survey respondent was quoted as saying in the report published Wednesday.

More than three quarters of oilfield service executives surveyed said they expect pricing for their work to increase this year. While drilling-rig use has been steadily recovering over the past few months, it remains at roughly half the level seen at the start of last year.

After seven straight quarters of negative readings that indicated cuts to headcount, the Dallas Fed’s employment index turned positive in the first three months of the year, driven primarily by oilfield service firms, according to the report.