Biggest US Shale Play May Be Peaking Amid Low Prices

摘要

The Barnett Shale gas play in North Texas has been the driving force behind the production growth that has transformed the US market from supply-short a few years ago to surplus today, But some industry executives think it may be about to peak, both sooner and at a lower volume than had been anticipated. While this may cast some doubt on the more ebullient forecasts for US shale production and on suggestions that shale is lower-cost than much of the LNG on global markets, most are still betting that US shale output overall will increase this year — although probably not by enough to offset expected steep declines in other flows (WGI Feb.l8,p8). So, a slide in US production overall may well be evident by end-2009.