Diamondback Energy Inc (FANG)

[Wildbilly]

Permian Basin boom threatened by falling crude prices

The Permian Basin is all the rage on Wall Street, but oil prices need to stay high enough to support the current rate of exploratory drilling - and prices for West Texas crude have dropped below $100/bbl for a third straight weekly decline.

The Permian remains the largest U.S. oil producer, with output averaging ~1.3M bbl/day and rising, but it's also the most expensive U.S. shale formation in which to drill - meaning the boom could become a bust if crude moves near $70/bbl, as some analysts predict.

If oil drops to $80, wells in some parts of the Permian will become money-losers; wells drilled in the Cline Shale and Northern Mississippian Lime layers of the Permian need $96 oil to break even.

Among top Permian producers: PXD, FANG, CXO, APA, ATHL, OXY, XOM, EOG, XEC, APC, CVX, COP, CWEI.

Oil ETFs: OIL, USO, DBO, OLO, USL, CRUD, UCO, DTO, SCO, SZO, DNO, UWTI, DWTI.
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