The worldwide rig count for October 2016 was 1,620, up 36 from the 1,584 counted in September 2016, and down 466 from the 2,086 counted in October 2015.

U.S. Rig Count is down 202 rigs from last year's count of 771, with oil rigs down 122, gas rigs down 82, and miscellaneous rigs up 2. Canadian Rig Count is down 31 rigs from last year's count of 185, with oil rigs down 3, gas rigs down 29, and miscellaneous rigs up 1.

Output in the U.S. will fall 800,000 barrels a day this year, Adam Sieminski, administrator for the EIA, said in an interview in Riyadh. That would be the first drop since 2008, data compiled by Bloomberg show. OPEC’s attempts to carry out an agreement on limiting production are still “very much up in the air,” he said.

Nabors Industries Ltd. reported the signing of an agreement to form a joint venture in Saudi Arabia to own, manage, and operate onshore drilling rigs. The JV, which will be equally owned by Saudi Aramco and Nabors, is expected to be formed and commence operations in second-quarter 2017.

Rosneft and BP announce the completion of the deal to create a new joint venture, Yermak Neftegaz LLC, to conduct exploration in the West Siberian and Yenisey-Khatanga basins in the Russian Federation.

Негативное воздействие низких цен, проявившееся в серьезном сокращении инвестиций в нефтедобычу, будет продолжаться третий год подряд, что станет беспрецедентной ситуацией.

Global offshore oil production (including lease condensate and hydrocarbon gas liquids) from deepwater projects reached 9.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2015. Deepwater production, or production in water of depths greater than 125 meters, has increased 25% from nearly 7 million b/d a decade ago.

- Combination creates an unparalleled company positioned to deliver value for customers and investors - GE to own 62.5% and Baker Hughes shareholders to own 37.5% of the “New” Baker Hughes - GE to contribute $7.4 billion to fund the $17.50 per share special dividend to existing Baker Hughes shareholders

U.S. Rig Count is down 218 rigs from last year's count of 775, with oil rigs down 137, gas rigs down 83, and miscellaneous rigs up 2. Canadian Rig Count is down 38 rigs from last year's count of 191, with oil rigs down 11, gas rigs down 28, and miscellaneous rigs up 1.

The North American market has continued to "grind slowly upwards" as the rig count, particularly in the US, ticks ahead from troughs seen six months ago, Martin Craighead said during a quarterly conference call with analysts. But "customers need to be more confident of the durability of those prices before making any significant change to their spending patterns," Craighead said.

The worsening OPEC equation presents Saudi Arabia with a difficult choice after its Algiers U-turn: carry a greater burden within the group, ceding market share to other producers, or lose credibility by softening the terms of the deal. In a worst-case scenario, Saudi Arabia will have to cut production by more than 1 million barrels a day, sending the kingdom’s output to a two-year low.

Big companies responded with big cuts. BP, Eni and their peers cut exploration spending by 35% in 2015 compared with 2013, Wood Mackenzie’s data show. Many projects now focus on lower-risk, lower-reward prospects as companies hope for incremental gains near existing infrastructure that they can bring online quickly and cheaply.

Russia is the world's largest producer of crude oil (including lease condensate) and the second-largest producer of dry natural gas. Russia also produces significant amounts of coal. Russia's economy is highly dependent on its hydrocarbons, and oil and natural gas revenues account for more than 40% of the federal budget revenues.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) and Russian petroleum authorities (Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency, Rosnedra) have entered into an agreement to exchange seismic data from the areas around the demarcation line in the Barents Sea.

Global offshore oil production (including lease condensate and hydrocarbon gas liquids) in 2015 was at the highest level since 2010, and accounted for nearly 30% of total global oil production. Offshore oil production increased in both 2014 and 2015, reversing consecutive annual declines from 2010 to 2013. Production from onshore tight oil plays has increased faster over the past several years and accounts for an increasing amount of total oil production.