US shale producers tackle sharp decline rates

摘要

Nearly a decade since independent oil firms ushered in the US unconventional oil boom with advances in hydraulic fracturing, a key challenge remains - how to stem sharp decline rates at shale wells without burning through budgets. US oil production is forecast to rise by 1.3mn b/d to a record 10.7mn b/d this year and hit 11.5mn b/d in 2019, with growth in tight oil output - especially from the Permian basin in west Texas and New Mexico - underpinning the gains, US government agency the EIA says. UK bank Barclays predicts tight oil output to increase by around 1mn b/d a year to 13.2mn b/d by 2025 from 5.6mn b/d last year.