U.S. shale firms, struggling to profit with $30 oil, slash spending more
Source: reuters
Three major U.S. shale oil companies have slashed their 2016 capital spending plans more than expected in a bid to survive $30 a barrel oil prices, with one of them saying prices would need to rise more than 20 percent just to turn a profit.
The cuts on Monday from Hess Corp (HES.N), Continental Resources (CLR.N) and Noble Energy (NBL.N) ranged from 40 percent to 66 percent. This marks the second straight year of pullbacks by a trio of companies normally seen as among the most resilient shale oil producers.
The cuts were steeper than expected. Analysts at Bernstein Energy had forecast an average 2016 spending cut for the sector of 38 percent.
The reductions show budgets may shrink more this year than they did last year, when spending fell between 20 percent and 50 percent. Output at some companies may fall for the first time ever.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shale-oil-idUSKCN0V50GM
EdwardBernays
(3,343 posts)Doing what they can to wreck the world economy.
Lodestar
(2,388 posts)and I'm guessing this will help. But I've read that this oil war is also about
hobbling the Russian economy and that is happening.
EdwardBernays
(3,343 posts)Price fixing.
They feel that they lost control of the market. They want to destroy US shale production and convince Russia and Iran to deliberately limit their output.
So yeah price rigging.
But they're also barely a country. And have no real government so to speak. So this is all being done ad hock
On the plus we're "helping" SA commit war crimes in Yemen.
So.
Lodestar
(2,388 posts)y 1515 GMT the rouble was trading around 83.63 to the dollar. While collapsing oil prices have been the main culprit in its almost 60 percent fall against the U.S. currency in the past 18 months, on Thursday crude oil benchmark Brent was higher, around $28.35 a barrel.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was being briefed about the currency moves, but that the central bank had the situation in hand. "The rate is volatile, but it is far from being a collapse," he said.
Currency dealers characterized the pressure on the currency as a "speculative attack".
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-markets-idUSKCN0UZ15C
They're trying to force Russia's hand.
SA said today the price was irrational and they wanted to work with Russia and Iran to lower oil output.
Since - ostensibly - oil prices are controlled by supply and demand SA wants to lower demand, in a coordinated way, to regain some control over prices.
happyslug
(14,779 posts)Thus this is bad for Russia, Russia will survive it.
In the last glut of oil, Russia had to default on its debt, something no one is discussing today:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Russian_financial_crisis
Russia also saw 84% inflation rate in 1998.
Also, since Russia's economy was operating to such a large extent on barter and other non-monetary instruments of exchange, the financial collapse had far less of an impact on many producers than it would had the economy been dependent on a banking system. Finally, the economy had been helped by an infusion of cash. As enterprises were able to pay off debts in back wages and taxes, in turn consumer demand for goods and services produced by the Russian industry began to rise.
And Barter is a still a HUGE part of the Russian Economy, thus this has a lot less affect on people in the street then Russia's Oligarchs (all of whom are afraid of Putin, so not a threat, none will back the largest opposition to Putin, the Communists for their fear the Communists more they fear Putin).
As to inflation, while some goods (mostly imported goods and fish) have gone up over 50%, general inflation is just over 10%, through basic loan interest is over 23% (compared with the US where the rate issued by the Federal Reserve is barely over 0%.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_financial_crisis_(2014%E2%80%93present)
As a whole, Russia is presently doing better then the last years of Carter's administration but slightly worse then under Reagan. The US survived both situation, and in the case of Reagan we had 4% inflation from 1982 till 1992 (It varied from a low as 1.5% in 1987, 3.7 % in 1986 and 4% in 1988, and 4.7% in 1989, increased again in the Bush I years, then declined when Clinton was elected).
http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/
I am NOT saying this is good for Russia, it is NOT, but Russia and the US has faced WORSE times and survived.
Furthermore this is all tied in with the drop in the price of oil, once oil starts to go up, Russia economy will improve. The recent problem is the result of depending on one export to pay for imports, Russia has to import less, or export something other then oil more. Putin has been working on that angle, but given the dependence on oil, a hard thing to do. This is also the problem with the present government of Venezuela, to dependent on oil to pay for imports, needs to import less and produce what is needs locally. Again a tough road to take, given the easy road is have oil pay for everything.
marble falls
(57,385 posts)getting checks, either way. Its time to cut any more tax dollars to these companies.
cstanleytech
(26,337 posts)the price of oil will rebound and it will make it lucrative once more.