Well service rigs, operating rigs, and commodity prices

This study examines the degree to which the deployment of well service rigs is responsive to changes in commodity prices and operating rigs in terms of long- and short-run estimates of elasticity. Well service rigs respond more to changes in natural gas rigs than oil rigs, and more to real oil prices than to real natural gas prices. In the shorter term, the findings document that the responses of well service rigs to changes in natural gas rigs and real oil prices are highly elastic, with no significant responses to changes in natural gas prices. The error correction model reveals that the change in well service rig usage adjusts to eliminate disequilibrium in the long-run relationship that exists between rigs and commodity prices. This research shows the important role that well service rigs play in the decisions of exploration and production (E&P) companies as they respond to changes in commodity prices.