Industry at a glance

	Vol. 226 No. 3

With WTI crude prices remaining above $45/bbl, OPEC and the European Union said they intend to meet twice a year to discuss ways to lower world oil prices. Within OPEC, Algeria was one of only two group members reporting output increases in January, compared to December. Algerian output was up 20,000 bopd. Meanwhile, the Former Soviet Union declined slightly for the third month in a row, losing 120,000 bopd in January. US oil output was also down, with Louisiana and Alaska contributing the largest losses. Nevertheless, US rotary drilling rig usage was up slightly in January, with the net, 11-rig difference coming from Texas. According to ODS-Petrodata, rig demand for the US Gulf of Mexico is at its highest level since September 2003, and that level should hold steady into February. Worldwide, rig demand was up 11% in January versus December. The global seismic crew count was up 3.4% compared to a month earlier, and up 3.9% versus January 2004.