US: Permian oil output set to grow in Q2 as fracking reaches 12-month high; flaring lowest since 2017 12 Apr 2021 Fracking in North America has almost recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with the count of started frac jobs reaching a 12-month high in March 2021, a Rystad Energy report shows. The number of completed wells in the Permian basin during the first quarter of 2021 exceeded the required output maintenance level, so oil production is set to rise in the current quarter – but will likely slow again later in the year. Rystad Energy has already registered 967 started frac operations in North America for March 2021. As satellite data coverage is incomplete for the past few days, we estimate that about 97 jobs are yet to be detected if the running rate of frac activity is maintained in the remainder of the month. This will bring the final count for March to about 1,064 wells – exceeding the January 2021 activity level by about 6.5%.