Gulf of Mexico recovery accelerates
Confidence is rising amid an uptick in deepwater permits and the proving of potentially transformative technologies
After four years of declining drilling, Gulf of Mexico (GOM) permits are up, rig utilisation is increasing and there is cautious optimism. Although oil price gains have levelled off, cost-cutting initiatives are yielding positive movement in GOM activity, including the first rig count uptick in years. Given the limitations of US unconventional plays, operators surveyed in 2018 planned to increase GOM drilling during second-half 2019. The offshore industry is amid a two-year recovery and spending was projected to accelerate during the second-half 2019, according to Evercore ISI senior research analyst James West in the 2019 Global E&P Mid-Year Spending Outlook. Offshore rig utilisation
Also in this section
17 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 26–30 April 2026, will bring together leaders from the political, industrial, financial and technology sectors under the unifying theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All”
17 February 2026
Siemens Energy has been active in the Kingdom for nearly a century, evolving over that time from a project-based foreign supplier to a locally operating multi-national company with its own domestic supply chain and workforce
17 February 2026
Eni’s chief operating officer for global natural resources, Guido Brusco, takes stock of the company’s key achievements over the past year, and what differentiates its strategy from those of its peers in the LNG sector and beyond
16 February 2026
As the third wave of global LNG arrives, Wood Mackenzie’s director for Europe gas and LNG, Tom Marzec-Manser, discusses with Petroleum Economist the outlook for Europe’s gas market in 2026
