The Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) has updated its 2017 Canadian Drilling Activity Forecast to reflect an increase in its projected total number of wells to be drilled during the year to 7,200 from 6,680.

API announced that estimated total wells drilled and completed in the second quarter of 2017 increased 62 percent compared to the second quarter of 2016. This includes a 41 percent increase in estimated development gas well completions and a dramatic 81 percent increase in total estimated oil well completions from year-ago levels. Total estimated oil well completions also increased 19 percent from the first quarter of 2017. Growing well completion figures could lead to an increase in U.S. oil production, which rose 62 percent from 2010 to 2016, and U.S. natural gas production which, also increased 26 percent during the same time.

One big reason is that natural gas prices have recovered from 20-year lows, nearly doubling since last year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

API announced today that estimated total wells drilled and completed in the first quarter of 2017 saw an increase of 35 percent compared to the first quarter of 2016. This is a drastic improvement from 2016 levels which saw a 59 percent decrease in total wells drilled and completed from the previous year.

Nabors Industries Ltd. ("Nabors") (NYSE: NBR) reported full-year 2016 operating revenue of $2.2 billion, compared to operating revenue of $3.9 billion in the prior year, which included $366 million in revenue from the Completion and Production Services segment (NCPS), a business line that merged with C&J Energy Services, Inc. (CJES) on March 24, 2015 and ceased to be consolidated with Nabors on that date. Net income from continuing operations for the year was a loss of $1.0 billion, or $3.58 per share, compared to a loss of $330 million, or $1.14 per share, in FY 2015. Included in the net loss from continuing operations for full year 2016 were total after-tax impairments and other charges of $487 million, or $1.71 per share, as well as $0.80 per share in Nabors' proportional share of CJES' net loss for the period. This compares to prior year impairments and other charges of $380 million, or $1.31 per share, and $0.29 per diluted share for the company's proportional share of CJES' net loss.

“Today’s report shows evidence that the consistent decline in oil and natural gas drilling could be coming to an end,” said Hazem Arafa, director of API’s statistics department.

If oil passes $70 a barrel, the U.S. could start pumping out an extra million barrels a day, offsetting much of the planned cut from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, according to a Citigroup Inc. analysis.

U.S. shale drillers are set to ramp up spending on exploration and production next year as recovering oil prices prompt banks to extend credit lines for the first time in two years.

API announced today that estimated oil wells drilled and completed in the third quarter of 2016 remained relatively unchanged from the previous quarter at 2,285. That is a decline of 3.7%, which follows an average of 17.3% in quarterly declines for the past year and a half.

Baker Hughes Inc., the services company that tracks drilling activity worldwide, said just 27 rigs operated last month in the North Sea, the lowest number since records started in January 1982. The previous low was set in October 1999, when oil prices plunged to $10 a barrel.