April 20, 2026
It takes big investments by U.S. upstream operators to power America’s energy advantage as the world’s top producer of oil and natural gas. American onshore producers are on track to drill over 10,000 wells in 2026 and investing over $250 billion to explore, develop, and produce the energy that powers the U.S. economy and supplies markets around the world.
The unconventional wells responsible for boosting domestic production represent a feat of modern engineering — extending laterally up to four miles underground and costing an average of $9 million to bring online. They are the product of decades of American innovation in horizontal drilling, advanced hydraulic fracturing, and AI-optimized operations that have made U.S. producers the most efficient and productive in the world.
That level of investment and activity doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of American ingenuity, world-class geology, and a regulatory environment that enables capital to flow and production to follow. According to a 2025 study by Rystad Energy commissioned by AXPC, independent producers drilled 90% of all new U.S. onshore wells between 2022 and 2024 and were the primary driver of production growth over that period.
When geopolitical conflicts create what the International Energy Agency has called the “most severe oil supply shock in history”, American oil and natural gas continue to flow — buffering Americans from the worst impacts. That buffer is the product of continuous investment by upstream operators who support 3.6 million jobs and $560 billion in economic activity, and the millions of skilled workers who show up every day to drill the wells, operate the equipment, and deliver the reliable, secure energy that fundamentally reshaped global markets.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration; Rystad Energy, Economic Impact of US Independent Operators, August 2025; International Energy Agency
