Currently, Oklahoma has the distinction of having the largest share of total household earnings* coming directly from the oil and gas industry – an astounding 13.9% for all of 2014. In fact, Oklahoma now has the highest share ever posted by a state in the modern energy era, with Wyoming’s 13.5% share in 1982 ranking a close second.
Which energy states are seeing the steepest losses in rig counts? The U.S. rig count peaked in November 2014 at about 1,930 rigs but has quickly dropped to only 1,676 rigs (a 13.2% decline) in just eight short weeks. So far, Texas is taking the brunt of the fall. Of the 253 rigs cut nationally, 139 were land-based rigs operating in Texas, a 15.4% decline. Across all other states and offshore combined, only 113 rigs have been cut.
Mark Snead is quoted in a recent editorial in Oklahoma Energy Today concerning severance taxes in Oklahoma. The editorial focuses on the differing economic impact of the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma vs. North Dakota. Despite North Dakota's greater…
Had the great pleasure of taking a trip yesterday to Williston, North Dakota to see firsthand the economic activity underlying the development of the Bakken oil formation. It was an amazing sight, one I suspect is typical of the early oil and gas booms that reshaped areas of Pennsylvania, California, Texas, and Oklahoma.
The most interesting issue they face is coping with a lack of housing in the region given the tremendous population explosion. Cities I have worked with in the past have often lamented the housing shortages they face. I think now I really know what a housing shortage looks like.