That's an improvement from earlier in the year when it needed crude closer to $55 a barrel to achieve that growth rate. For example, Pioneer Natural Resources ( PXD ) only modestly increased its budget this year in order to stick to its strategy of expanding output at a 15% compound annual growth rate through 2026. Instead of using its excess cash to hit the accelerator, Pioneer Natural Resources announced a fourfold increase in its dividend, a modest share repurchase program, and plans to repay an upcoming debt maturity with cash.