U.S. Independents Paint Optimistic Picture With 2012 Drilling Plans By Bill Campbell While a sample group of The American Oil & Gas Reporter's U.S.-based independent oil and gas producer readers were responding to the magazine's annual Survey of Independent Operators, two leading sources of activity levels were flashing warning signals. The gold standard Baker Hughes rig count stood still during November and December, with no measureable gains after a steady upward trot throughout the year. Decreasing natural gas rig counts offset rising oil counts through year's end. Meanwhile, IHS showed year-to-year declines in U.S. drilling permits of 5 and 10 percent for October and November, respectively. So is the party over? Hardly. For the third straight year, respondents to AOGR's survey project a sizeable increase in drilling for the coming year. Following a 13.8 percent increase in well completions during 2010 and a 21.3 percent year-to-year increase in 2011 as of October, according to counts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, respondents to the Survey of Independent Operators say they plan to increase drilling in 2012 by another 37.6 percent. Outlook 2012 JANUARY 2012 95