PPT Slide
Natural Gas Productive Capacity for the Lower-48 States
- This study used the same prices as EIA’s January 2001 Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO). These were relatively high by pre-2000 standards, but in the Base Case return to $4.40 per Mcf by July 2001 (Table 1).
- A Constant Drilling case (879 rigs) was also developed to provide one effective capacity estimate independent of price forecasts. The resulting productive capacity is between the Low and Base Cases (Figure 2).
- Lower-48 annual well completions are projected to increase over 1999 levels by 61 percent through 2001 in the Base Case (Figure 5).
- This represents a return to completion levels last seen in the early 1980s.
- There are about 8500 more gas well completions and recompletions projected in 2001 compared to 1999.