Will Chevron's Permian Production Strength Power Future Gains?

Chevron Corporation CVX is sharpening its focus on the Permian Basin, where it continues to expand output through efficiency gains and disciplined development. The company is leveraging digital technologies and automation to optimize drilling and production in real time, while implementing water recycling programs and methane reduction measures. These efforts are aimed at sustaining growth while aligning operations with broader environmental goals.

In Q2 2025, the Permian played a central role in Chevron’s upstream performance, contributing a substantial portion of the company’s total production. In particular, Chevron’s U.S. operations posted a strong 7.8% year-over-year volume increase in the quarter, driven largely by the Permian Basin. This low-cost, high-margin asset remains a structural advantage and a cornerstone of Chevron’s near-term supply growth, helping offset natural declines elsewhere in the portfolio.

Looking ahead, Chevron plans to build on this strong base by maintaining a steady pace of development activity and expanding its use of advanced completion designs. The company aims to exceed 1 million oil-equivalent barrels per day (BOE/d) from the basin by 2027, with strong well performance and efficient tie-ins supporting this goal. 

With multi-decade resource potential, the Permian remains critical to the company’s strategy of delivering both volume growth and competitive returns. By combining scale, technology, and a lower-carbon operating approach, Chevron is positioning the basin not just as a key cash generator, but also as a model for modern, sustainable shale development.

A Word on Some Other Permian Operators

ExxonMobil XOM, Chevron’s primary competitor, continues to break records in the Permian – the most prolific shale play in the United States. Along with second-quarter 2025 earnings, ExxonMobil announced that it produced around 1.6 million BOE/d, marking its highest output ever from this area, highlighting the fact that Permian has already become central to its growth story. ExxonMobil projects a ramping up of production from the unconventional play to 2.3 million BOE/d by 2030, suggesting a 44% jump from the current output.

Another energy biggie, EOG Resources EOG, holds a dominant position in the Delaware Basin, utilizing advanced drilling techniques to maximize well productivity and returns. In the second quarter of 2025, EOG Resources’ Permian assets drove 3% oil production growth and an 8% increase in total volumes. By leveraging proprietary technology and self-sourced materials, EOG Resources maintains a breakeven price in the low-$50s, ensuring consistent free cash flow and attractive shareholder returns.

The Zacks Rundown on Chevron

Shares of Chevron have gained nearly 7% so far this year compared with the Oil/Energy sector’s increase of 2%.

From a valuation perspective — in terms of forward price-to-earnings ratio — Chevron is trading at a premium compared to the industry average. The stock is also trading above its five-year mean of 11.86.

See how the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Chevron’s earnings has been revised over the past 60 days.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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