Friday, April 24, 2020
President Donald Trump brokered a deal between Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States, agreeing to the largest-ever oil production cuts on April 12, according to The Waterways Journal Weekly. While the deal should help prices recover, it may not be enough for some U.S. producers, particularly smaller companies.
The deal will cut production by 9.7 million barrels in May and June — about 10 percent of global production. However, the mutually accepted cuts do not come close to the levels needed to stabilize the oil markets, according to experts.
Small producers are particularly vulnerable to the rock-bottom prices of recent months. Many have become more efficient with lower break-even price points at existing wells, but were pushed below this threshold due to the price war and virus crisis. Simultaneously, plenty were already carrying heavy debt loads.
As a result state oil regulators have been considering production cuts of their own. The Texas Railroad Commission is expected to make a decision regarding Texas’ oil output this week. The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is scheduled to hold its own hearing on production cuts May 11.
While small producers have generally favored proposed cuts, larger companies, who are typically more efficient with the lower break-even points, and trade associations have argued that the market can take care of production cutbacks on its own.
Learn more: The Waterways Journal Weekly > Trump-mediated oil deal splits large, small producers
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