据油价网2021年6月28日报道，美国能源信息署(EIA)估计，自去年6月达到峰值以来，美国页岩探区已开钻但未完钻 (DUC)井数量已经下降了27%。
DUC井可以让勘探和生产公司以更低的成本开采原油和天然气，所以DUC井数量自去年6月达到峰值以来下降27%也就不足为奇了。 当时，由于低油气价格以及全球石油需求在新冠肺炎疫情大流行期间的暴跌，运营商关闭了油气生产。 自去年年初新冠肺炎疫情爆发以来，勘探和生产公司已经收紧了钻井活动的支出，他们正在开发更多的DUC井以维持产量。
据EIA估计，去年6月，美国DUC井存货量达到了8874口的峰值。 近一年后，也就是今年5月，EIA估计，美国在7个主要的致密油和页岩气盆地(二叠纪, 鹰福特、阿纳达科、 阿帕拉契亚、巴肯、尼奥巴拉和海恩斯维尔)约有6521 口DUC井。
EIA估计，从去年6月到今年5月，美国的DUC井总数下降了27%或2353口。
EIA说：“自COVID-19大流行开始以来，勘探和生产公司已经削减了资本支出，部署了更少的钻机，并减少了石油和天然气产量，以应对需求下降和价格下跌。 DUC井帮助作业者以更低的成本生产石油和天然气。”
EIA 6月中旬发布的最新钻井生产力报告显示，4月至5月间，美国DUC井数量减少了247口。 该报告还显示，来自美国7个最高产页岩盆地的页岩产量将环比日增3.8万桶。
李峻 编译自 油价网
原文如下：
Number Of U.S. Drilled But Uncompleted Wells Drops 27% In A Year
The number of drilled but uncompleted wells (DUCs) in the U.S. shale patch has declined by 27 percent since the peak in June 2020, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has estimated.
DUCs allow exploration and production companies to pump crude oil and natural gas at a lower cost, so it’s no surprise that the number of DUCs has dropped since the peak in June 2020. Back then, operators shut in production because of the low oil and natural gas prices and the crash in global oil demand in the pandemic. E&P firms have tightened spending align="justify"> According to EIA estimates, the U.S. inventory of DUCs peaked at 8,874 such wells in June 2020. Nearly a year later, in May 2021, the most recent month available, the EIA estimated that the United States had about 6,521 DUCs in the seven major tight oil and shale natural gas basins—the Permian, Eagle Ford, Anadarko, Appalachia, Bakken, Niobara, and Haynesville.
Currently, almost 40 percent of DUCs, or 2,616 DUCs, are in the Permian Basin.
The total number of DUCs in the U.S. fell by 27 percent, or by 2,353 DUCs, between June last year and May this year, the EIA has estimated.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, exploration and production (E&P) companies have cut capital expenditures, deployed fewer rigs, and reduced oil and natural gas production in response to lower demand and lower prices. DUCs help operators produce oil and natural gas at a lower cost,” the EIA noted.
The EIA’s latest Drilling Productivity Report from mid-June showed that the number of DUCs fell by 247 between April and May. The report also showed that U.S. shale output from the seven most prolific shale basins is set to grow by 38,000 bpd month over month.