U.S. shale companies are set to increase their capital expenditures by 20 percent this year, while also boosting their production guidance, according to Rystad Energy . Obviously, the Permian is where a lot of the action is – Permian drillers forecast a 40 percent increase in production, year-on-year, a colossal jump of about 850,000 bpd. But it isn’t just that they are spending more and producing more. Rystad Energy says that many in the shale industry are “optimizing their acreage portfolio,” discarding less attractive assets by selling them to other companies and using the proceeds to fuel growth in the more desired locations. This way, Rystad says, they can grow production “while ultimately staying cash flow positive.” Rystad cited the example of QEP Resources, which is shedding its acreage in the Bakken, Haynesville and Uinta, and going all in on the Permian. Also, Pioneer Natural Resources announced plans to […]