據鉆機地帶6月8日彭博社報道，據花旗集團(Citigroup Inc.)稱，隨著鋼鐵、水泥和其他供應及服務價格上漲導致勘探企業成本上升，頁巖地區鉆探成本越來越高。

　　包括Scott Gruber在內的分析師上周五在給投資者的報告中寫道，到今年年底，北美該行業的通脹率可能達到12%或更高。但花旗表示，盡管油田服務公司可以將大部分成本轉嫁給所服務的生產商，但他們仍無法獲得足夠高的定價，以實現額外利潤。

　　隨著去年疫情導致的原油價格暴跌后勘探者重返工作崗位，今年油田從勞動力到柴油再到鋼鐵的各種成本都在攀升。花旗集團稱，2021年，新井所用鉆桿的鋼材價格可能上漲約50%。

　　自去年暴跌以來，美國的石油產量一直低迷，盡管油氣鉆機數量自去年8月跌至最低點以來幾乎翻了一番。Gruber表示，隨著勘探企業進入年底與承包商的價格談判階段，他們可能會在第四季度停止勘探活動。

　　服務提供商發現在北美很難提高價格，那里的競爭比國際市場更激烈。這也是全球最大的油田承包商紛紛從美國和加拿大轉向海外尋求增長的原因之一。

　　郝芬 譯自 鉆機地帶

　　原文如下：

　　Analysts See Possible 12% Inflation for Shale E&Ps

　　It’s getting more expensive to drill in the shale patch as rising prices for steel, cement and other supplies and services lead to higher costs for explorers, according to Citigroup Inc.

　　Inflation could reach 12% or more by the end of this year for the sector in North America, analysts including Scott Gruber wrote Friday in a note to investors. But oilfield service companies haven’t been able to command high enough pricing to book extra profits, even though they can pass most of their costs on to the producers they serve, Citigroup said.

　　Costs for everything from labor to diesel to steel have climbed in the oil field this year as explorers return to work following last year’s pandemic-driven crash in crude prices. Steel prices for the drill pipe used in new wells could rise about 50% in 2021, Citigroup said.

　　Oil production in the U.S. has remain subdued since last year’s plunge, though the number of rigs drilling for crude and natural gas has almost doubled since reaching a nadir last August. Explorers could tap the brakes on activity in the fourth quarter as they head into year-end price negotiations with contractors, Gruber said.

　　Service providers have found it difficult to hike pricing in North America, where competition is more fierce than it is in international markets. It’s one reason the world’s biggest oilfield contractors are pivoting away from the U.S. and Canada in search of growth overseas.