In another sign of improving momentum in the US economy, the active oil and gas rig count started rising in recent weeks. This is after a major decline in 2012 and a stagnant 2013.
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| Source: Baker Hughes |
A big part of the drop in 2012 was due to the sharp decline in natural gas prices. Production in certain situations became unprofitable - particularly for some of the more leveraged projects.
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| Source: barchart |
Now that gas prices have firmed up and likely to stay that way (see post), some of the extraction projects make sense again - especially as technology improves. Should conversion from gas to liquids become less expensive (see story), rig count will increase further.
Like it or not, oil and gas jobs tend to be high-paying - which should help with US wage stagnation. The industry also generates a decent job multiplier effect through the various peripheral sectors that support it (housing, manufacturing, transportation, etc.) If sustained, this jump in rig count could therefore provide a meaningful contribution to the US economic expansion.
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