Xin Lang Cai Jing·2026-01-26 21:39Core Viewpoint - A severe winter storm has impacted the entire United States, leading to significant reductions in oil and gas production, with a peak daily decrease of 2 million barrels, representing a 15% drop in national output [2][11]. Oil Production Impact - The Energy Aspects consultancy reported that the peak reduction in U.S. oil production occurred on Saturday, with an average daily decrease of 2 million barrels, primarily from the Permian Basin, which accounted for approximately 1.5 million barrels of the reduction [2][11]. - By Monday, the reduction eased, with the Permian Basin's shutdown scale dropping to an average of 700,000 barrels per day, and full recovery is expected by January 30 [2][11]. - ConocoPhillips reported a reduction of 175,000 barrels per day in the Permian Basin due to the severe weather [2][11]. Operational Challenges - Chevron reported issues at its Midland, Texas facility due to frozen equipment, and the Texas Oil and Gas Association noted significant challenges in third-party transportation, particularly in water transport and technician scheduling [3][11]. - Over twenty companies, including Western Oil and Targa Resources, reported operational failures at their natural gas processing plants and compressor stations in Texas, although the number of failures was significantly lower than during the severe winter storm in 2021 [3][11]. Natural Gas Production - North Dakota's oil production is expected to decrease by 80,000 to 110,000 barrels per day, with associated natural gas production dropping by 240 to 330 million cubic feet [4][12]. - The average daily natural gas production in the U.S. has fallen to 10.69 billion cubic feet, down from a historical high of 10.97 billion cubic feet in December [5][13]. Refinery Operations - Several refineries along the Gulf Coast faced operational issues due to the freezing weather, including ExxonMobil, which closed parts of its facility in Baytown, Texas [5][13]. - The IIR reported that the Suncor refinery in Lima, Ohio, with a capacity of 172,000 barrels per day, experienced mechanical failures, delaying full restart until later in the week [6][14]. Electricity Supply and Demand - The winter storm has caused power outages for over 1 million households and businesses, with approximately 810,000 customers still without power as of Monday [7][16]. - The PJM Interconnection expects a generation interruption of 22.4 gigawatts, about 16% of its total committed capacity, primarily affecting the Mid-Atlantic region [8][17]. - Electricity prices surged, with wholesale prices reaching around $200 per megawatt-hour, having previously exceeded $3,000 [8][17]. Prices in New England spiked by approximately 82% to $313 per megawatt-hour, while prices in Pennsylvania and Maryland surged by about 360% to around $413 per megawatt-hour, the highest since January 2014 [8][17].