Independent Statistics & Analysis

Drilling Productivity Report

The six regions analyzed in this report accounted for nearly 90% of domestic oil production 

growth and virtually all domestic natural gas production growth during 2011-12.

October 2013

For key tight oil and shale gas regions

U.S. Energy Information

Administration

Contents

Year-over-year summary 2

Bakken 3

Eagle Ford 4

Haynesville 5

Marcellus 6

Niobrara 7

Permian 8

Explanatory notes 9

Sources 10

Bakken

Marcellus

Niobrara

Haynesville

Eagle Ford

Permian
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

0

400

800

1,200

1,600

2,000

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

Oil production

thousand barrels/day

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

Natural gas production

million cubic feet/day

0

250

500

750

1,000

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

New-well oil production per rig

barrels/day

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

New-well gas production per rig

thousand cubic feet/day

(450)

(400)

(350)

(300)

(250)

(200)

(150)

(100)

(50)

0 

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

Legacy gas production change

million cubic feet/day

(70)

(60)

(50)

(40)

(30)

(20)

(10)

0 

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

Legacy oil production change

thousand barrels/day

drilling data through September 

projected production through November

October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

Year-over-year summary

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

thousand barrels/day

Indicated monthly change in oil production (Nov vs. Oct)

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

Bakken Eagle Ford Haynesville Marcellus Niobrara Permian

November-2012 November-2013

million cubic feet/day

Indicated monthly change in gas production (Nov vs. Oct)

2
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Oil production

thousand barrels/day

 Bakken

0

50

100

Oct 

935 

Mbbl/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

961 

Mbbl/d

thousand barrels/day

 Bakken

+86 -60 +26

Indicated change in oil production (Nov vs. Oct)

0

50

100

Oct 

1,067 

MMcf/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

1,096 

MMcf/d

Indicated change in natural gas production (Nov vs. Oct)

million cubic feet/day

 Bakken

+83 -54 +29

0

50

100

150

200

250

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well oil production per rig

rig count

New-well oil production per rig

barrels/day

 Bakken

Rig count

rigs

(70)

(60)

(50)

(40)

(30)

(20)

(10)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy oil production change

thousand barrels/day

 Bakken

(60)

(50)

(40)

(30)

(20)

(10)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy gas production change

million cubic feet/day

 Bakken

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

 Bakken

Natural gas production

million cubic feet/day

0

50

100

150

200

250

0

600

1,200

1,800

2,400

3,000

3,600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well gas production per rig

rig count

New-well gas production per rig

thousand cubic feet/day

 Bakken

Rig count

rigs

drilling data through September 

projected production through November

October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

Monthly

additions 

from one 

average rig 

November

barrels/day

October

barrels/day

month over month

Oil

+23

Gas

thousand cubic feet/day

month over month 

+18

Bakken

million cubic feet/day

month over month

November 463 

thousand cubic feet/day

October 445 

482 

459 

thousand barrels/day

month over month

Oil +26 Gas +29

3
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Oil production

thousand barrels/day

 Eagle Ford

0

50

100

Oct 

1,069 

Mbbl/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

1,093 

Mbbl/d

thousand barrels/day

 Eagle Ford

+105 -81 +24

Indicated change in oil production (Nov vs. Oct)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Oct 

4,404 

MMcf/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

4,532 

MMcf/d

Indicated change in natural gas production (Nov vs. Oct)

million cubic feet/day

 Eagle Ford

+261 -133 +128

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well oil production per rig

rig count

New-well oil production per rig

barrels/day

 Eagle Ford

Rig count

rigs

(90)

(80)

(70)

(60)

(50)

(40)

(30)

(20)

(10)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy oil production change

thousand barrels/day

 Eagle Ford

(140)

(120)

(100)

(80)

(60)

(40)

(20)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy gas production change

million cubic feet/day

 Eagle Ford

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

 Eagle Ford

Natural gas production

million cubic feet/day

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

0

600

1,200

1,800

2,400

3,000

3,600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well gas production per rig

rig count

New-well gas production per rig

thousand cubic feet/day

 Eagle Ford

Rig count

rigs

drilling data through September 

projected production through November

October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

Monthly

additions 

from one 

average rig 

November

barrels/day

October

barrels/day

month over month

Oil

+8

Gas

thousand cubic feet/day

month over month 

+16

Eagle Ford

million cubic feet/day

month over month

November 1,010 

thousand cubic feet/day

October 994 

404 

396 

thousand barrels/day

month over month

Oil +24 Gas +128

4
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

barrels/day

0

400

800

1,200

1,600

2,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Oil production

thousand barrels/day

 Haynesville

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

Oct 

61 

Mbbl/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

62 

Mbbl/d

thousand barrels/day

 Haynesville

+2 -1 +1

Indicated change in oil production (Nov vs. Oct)

-150

-50

50

150

250

Oct 

6,721 

MMcf/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

6,601 

MMcf/d

Indicated change in natural gas production (Nov vs. Oct)

million cubic feet/day

 Haynesville

+228 -348 -120

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well oil production per rig

rig count

New-well oil production per rig

barrels/day

 Haynesville

Rig count

rigs

(3)

(2)

(1)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy oil production change

thousand barrels/day

 Haynesville

(700)

(600)

(500)

(400)

(300)

(200)

(100)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy gas production change

million cubic feet/day

 Haynesville

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

 Haynesville

Natural gas production

million cubic feet/day

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well gas production per rig

rig count

New-well gas production per rig

thousand cubic feet/day

 Haynesville

Rig count

rigs

drilling data through September 

projected production through November

October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

Monthly

additions 

from one 

average rig 

November

October

barrels/day

month over month

Oil

+1

Gas

thousand cubic feet/day

month over month 

+35

Haynesville

million cubic feet/day

month over month

November 5,018 

thousand cubic feet/day

October 4,983 

45 

44 

thousand barrels/day

month over month

Oil +1 Gas -120

5
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

Marcellus

0

400

800

1,200

1,600

2,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Oil production

thousand barrels/day

 Marcellus

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

Oct 

48 

Mbbl/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

51 

Mbbl/d

thousand barrels/day

 Marcellus

+4 -1 +3

Indicated change in oil production (Nov vs. Oct)

0

200

400

600

Oct 

12,237 

MMcf/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

12,645 

MMcf/d

Indicated change in natural gas production (Nov vs. Oct)

million cubic feet/day

 Marcellus

+579 -171 +408

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well oil production per rig

rig count

New-well oil production per rig

barrels/day

 Marcellus

Rig count

rigs

(3)

(2)

(1)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy oil production change

thousand barrels/day

 Marcellus

(200)

(160)

(120)

(80)

(40)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy gas production change

million cubic feet/day

 Marcellus

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

 Marcellus

Natural gas production

million cubic feet/day

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

0

1,200

2,400

3,600

4,800

6,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well gas production per rig

rig count

New-well gas production per rig

thousand cubic feet/day

 Marcellus

Rig count

rigs

drilling data through September 

projected production through November

October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

Monthly

additions 

from one 

average rig 

November

barrels/day

October

barrels/day

month over month

Oil

+2

Gas

thousand cubic feet/day

month over month 

+160

million cubic feet/day

month over month

November 5,980 

thousand cubic feet/day

October 5,820 

38 

36 

thousand barrels/day

month over month

Oil +3 Gas +408

6
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Oil production

thousand barrels/day

 Niobrara

0

10

20

30

Oct 

260 

Mbbl/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

267 

Mbbl/d

thousand barrels/day

 Niobrara

+30 -23 +7

Indicated change in oil production (Nov vs. Oct)

-100

-50

0

50

100

Oct 

4,610 

MMcf/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

4,550 

MMcf/d

Indicated change in natural gas production (Nov vs. Oct)

million cubic feet/day

 Niobrara

+94 -154 -60

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well oil production per rig

rig count

New-well oil production per rig

barrels/day

 Niobrara

Rig count

rigs

(25)

(20)

(15)

(10)

(5)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy oil production change

thousand barrels/day

 Niobrara

(250)

(200)

(150)

(100)

(50)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy gas production change

million cubic feet/day

 Niobrara

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

 Niobrara

Natural gas production

million cubic feet/day

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0

600

1,200

1,800

2,400

3,000

3,600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well gas production per rig

rig count

New-well gas production per rig

thousand cubic feet/day

 Niobrara

Rig count

rigs

drilling data through September 

projected production through November

October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

Monthly

additions 

from one 

average rig 

November

barrels/day

October

barrels/day

month over month

Oil

+7

Gas

thousand cubic feet/day

month over month 

-60

Niobrara

million cubic feet/day

month over month

November 978 

thousand cubic feet/day

October 1,038 

312 

305 

thousand barrels/day

month over month

Oil +7 Gas -60

7
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Oil production

thousand barrels/day

 Permian

0

10

20

30

Oct 

1,292 

Mbbl/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

1,292 

Mbbl/d

thousand barrels/day

 Permian

+35 -34 +1

Indicated change in oil production (Nov vs. Oct)

0

20

40

60

80

Oct 

4,735 

MMcf/d

Production 

from 

new wells

Legacy 

production 

change

Net 

change

Nov 

4,739 

MMcf/d

Indicated change in natural gas production (Nov vs. Oct)

million cubic feet/day

 Permian

+77 -74 +3

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well oil production per rig

rig count

New-well oil production per rig

barrels/day

 Permian

Rig count

rigs

(40)

(35)

(30)

(25)

(20)

(15)

(10)

(5)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy oil production change

thousand barrels/day

 Permian

(140)

(120)

(100)

(80)

(60)

(40)

(20)

0 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Legacy gas production change

million cubic feet/day

 Permian

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

 Permian

Natural gas production

million cubic feet/day

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0

600

1,200

1,800

2,400

3,000

3,600

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

new-well gas production per rig

rig count

New-well gas production per rig

thousand cubic feet/day

 Permian

Rig count

rigs

drilling data through September 

projected production through November

October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

Monthly

additions 

from one 

average rig 

November

barrels/day

October

barrels/day

month over month

Oil

0

Gas

thousand cubic feet/day

month over month 

+2

Permian

million cubic feet/day

month over month

November 175 

thousand cubic feet/day

October 173 

79 

79 

thousand barrels/day

month over month

Oil +1 Gas +3

8
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

Explanatory notes October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

The Drilling Productivity Report uses recent data on the total number of drilling rigs in operation along 

with estimates of drilling productivity and estimated changes in production from existing oil and natural 

gas wells to provide estimated changes in oil and natural gas production for six key fields. EIA’s 

approach does not distinguish between oil-directed rigs and gas-directed rigs because once a well is 

completed it may produce both oil and gas; more than half of the wells do that.

Monthly additions from one average rig

Monthly additions from one average rig represent EIA’s estimate of an average rig’s

1 contribution to 

production of oil and natural gas from new wells.2 The estimation of new-well production per rig uses 

several months of recent historical data on total production from new wells for each field divided by the 

region's monthly rig count, lagged by two months.3 Current- and next-month values are listed on the top 

header. The month-over-month change is listed alongside, with +/- signs and color-coded arrows to 

highlight the growth or decline in oil (brown) or natural gas (blue). 

New-well oil/gas production per rig

Charts present historical estimated monthly additions from one average rig coupled with the number of 

total drilling rigs as reported by Baker Hughes. 

Legacy oil and natural gas production change

Charts present EIA’s estimates of total oil and gas production changes from all the wells other than the 

new wells. The trend is dominated by the well depletion rates, but other circumstances can influence the 

direction of the change. For example, well freeze-offs or hurricanes can cause production to significantly 

decline in any given month, resulting in a production increase the next month when production simply 

returns to normal levels.

Projected change in monthly oil/gas production

Charts present the combined effects of new-well production and changes to legacy production. Total 

new-well production is offset by the anticipated change in legacy production to derive the net change in 

production. The estimated change in production does not reflect external circumstances that can affect 

the actual rates, such as infrastructure constraints, bad weather, or shut-ins based on environmental or 

economic issues.

Oil/gas production

Charts present oil and natural gas production from both new and legacy wells since 2007. This 

production is based on all wells reported to the state oil and gas agencies. Where state data are not 

immediately available, EIA estimates the production based on estimated changes in new-well oil/gas 

production and the corresponding legacy change. 

Footnotes:

1. The monthly average rig count used in this report is calculated from weekly data on total oil and gas rigs 

reported by Baker Hughes

2. A new well is defined as one that began producing for the first time in the previous month. Each well belongs to 

the new-well category for only one month. Reworked and recompleted wells are excluded from the calculation.

3. Rig count data lag production data because EIA has observed that the best predictor of the number of new 

wells beginning production in a given month is the count of rigs in operation two months earlier.

9
 U. S. Energy Information Administration | Drilling Productivity Report

Sources October 2013

Drilling Productivity Report

The data used in the preparation of this report come from the following sources. EIA is solely 

responsible for the analysis, calculations, and conclusions.

Drilling Info (http://www.drillinginfo.com) Source of production, permit, and spud data for counties 

associated with this report. Source of real-time rig location to estimate new wells spudded and completed 

throughout the United States.

Baker Hughes (http://www.bakerhughes.com) Source of rig and well counts by county, state, and basin.

North Dakota Oil and Gas Division (https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas) Source of well production, permit, 

and completion data in the counties associated with this report in North Dakota

Railroad Commission of Texas (http://www.rrc.state.tx.us) Source of well production, permit, and 

completion data in the counties associated with this report in Texas

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

(https://www.paoilandgasreporting.state.pa.us/publicreports/Modules/Welcome/Welcome.aspx) Source 

of well production, permit, and completion data in the counties associated with this report in 

Pennsylvania

West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (http://www.dep.wv.gov/oil-andgas/Pages/default.aspx) Source of well production, permit, and completion data in the counties 

associated with this report in West Virginia

Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (http://cogcc.state.co.us) Source of well production, 

permit, and completion data in the counties associated with this report in Colorado

Wyoming Oil and Conservation Commission (http://wogcc.state.wy.us ) Source of well production, 

permit, and completion data in the counties associated with this report in Wyoming

Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (http://dnr.louisiana.gov) Source of well production, 

permit, and completion data in the counties associated with this report in Louisiana

10