Breakeven prices for U.S. oil producers 2026| ��ƽ��

Average WTI price needed for U.S. oil and gas producers to stay profitable by well status in selected U.S. oilfields as of 2026 (in U.S. dollars per barrel)

Characteristic	New wells	Existing wells
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Source

Release date

March 2026

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

March 11 to 19, 2026

Number of respondents

130 respondents

Special properties

Executives in exploration and production firms

Supplementary notes

Results of two separate survey questions: "In the top two areas in which your firm is active: What West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price does your firm need to cover operating expenses for existing wells?" - Existing wells, 83 respondents;
"In the top two areas in which your firm is active: What WTI oil price does your firm need to profitably drill a new well?" - New wells, 81 respondents.

Citation formats

According to a 2026 survey, oil producers operating in the Permian region needed WTI oil prices to amount to a minimum of ***U.S. dollars per barrel in order to profitably drill a new well. This is compared to a minimum breakeven price of ***U.S. dollars per barrel for existing wells. The monthly average WTI oil price ranged between ** and ** U.S. dollars per barrel around the time of the survey.

Most productive oil basins

Operators in shale basins have the lowest average breakeven prices for new wells. However, when it comes to existing wells, operators in the Permian (Delaware) basin can afford even lower oil prices. The Permian basin, located in Texas and New Mexico, accounts for the greatest U.S. oil production output of any region. In 2024, production in the Permian reached nearly * barrels per day - more than **** times the amount extracted from the neighboring Eagle Ford rock formation.

Texas is leading oil producing state

With both regions located in Texas, it is not surprising that this is also the leading crude oil producing U.S. state. Nearly two billion barrels worth of crude oil were extracted in Texas per year, far more than any other state. Texas is home to a total of five major oil and gas formations.