Investment and operating choice: Oil and natural gas futures prices and drilling activity

We present evidence that changes in oil and natural gas field investment measured by drilling rig use respond positively to changes in the futures prices of oil and natural gas, consistent with predictions based upon value-maximizing behavior. These results hold for world regions dominated by private independent oil companies but not national oil companies. In those cases where futures price changes are identified as drivers, the role of spot prices is either absent or weak. The results are robust to several alternative specifications including controls for changes in rig productivity.

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