據能源世界網9月19日報道，本周，美國鉆井公司三周內第二次增加了油氣鉆機。最近能源價格從與冠狀病毒相關的低點回升，促使一些公司重返井場。

據能源服務公司貝克休斯(Baker Hughes Co)周五發布報告稱，截至9月18日當周，石油和天然氣鉆機數量(未來產量的早期指標)增加了1臺，達到255臺。

截至8月14日結束的當周，鉆機總數降至244臺的創紀錄低點。較去年同期減少613臺，降幅71%。

根據貝克休斯的數據顯示，石油鉆機減少1臺，至179臺，為截至8月14日那周以來的最低水平，而天然氣鉆機增加2臺，至73臺，為7月10日以來的最高水平。

盡管由于冠狀病毒破壞需求，美國的石油價格自今年年初以來仍下跌了約33％，但由于對全球經濟和能源需求的希望，原油期貨在過去五個月中上漲了118％，周五至每桶約41美元。 隨著政府取消更多封鎖措施，需求將迅速反彈。

據分析師稱，油價上漲促使一些能源公司開始更多鉆探。

Tudor，Pickering，Holt＆Co的分析師本周表示，雖然周數據可能仍會有些波動，但我們確實預計.經濟活動將開始/繼續進入更高的階段（2020年年底），并保持樂觀，認為9月可能是一個低谷.如果大宗商品價格出現實質性緊縮的話。

然而，大多數公司仍計劃繼續削減成本。

美國金融服務公司Cowen & Co表示，其跟蹤的45家獨立勘探和生產(E&P)公司計劃今年較2019年削減約47%的支出。在此之前，資本支出2019年減少了約9%，2018年增加了約23%。Cowen還表示，一些勘探與開發公司對2021年的初步預測迄今表明，明年的支出將比今年下降8%。

郝芬 譯自 能源世界網

原文如下：

US drillers add oil and gas rigs for second week in three: Baker Hughes

US drillers this week added oil and natural gas rigs for the second time in three weeks as a recent increase in energy prices from coronavirus-linked lows prompted some to return to the wellpad.

The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by one to 255 in the week to Sep. 18, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday.

That total rig count fell to a record low of 244 rigs during the week ended Aug. 14.

That was 613 rigs, or 71 per cent, below this time last year.

Oil rigs fell by one to 179, their lowest since the week to Aug. 14, while gas rigs rose two to 73, their highest since July 10, according to Baker Hughes.

Even though US oil prices are still down about 33 per cent since the start of the year due to coronavirus demand destruction, crude futures have gained 118 per cent over the past five months to around $41 a barrel on Friday on hopes global economies and energy demand will snap back as governments lift more lockdowns.

Analysts said those higher oil prices have encouraged some energy firms to start drilling more.

"While the weekly data is likely to remain somewhat choppy moving forward, we do expect ... activity to begin/continue inching higher into (year end 2020) and remain optimistic that September may represent the trough ... absent a material retrenchment in commodity prices," analysts at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co said this week.

Most firms, however, still plan to keep cutting costs.

US financial services firm Cowen & Co said the 45 independent exploration and production (E&P) companies it tracks plan to slash spending by about 47 per cent in 2020 versus 2019. That follows a capex reduction of roughly 9 per cent in 2019 and an increase of around 23 per cent in 2018.Cowen also said that some E&Ps issued early estimates for 2021 that so far point to 8 per cent drop in spending next year versus 2020.