The Eagle Ford shale
US gas surge coming from oil patch
Associated gas from legacy oil basins could offer a new lease of life to wobbling shale gas production and cement US powerhouse status
The face of the US gas sector is changing. While data from the US Department of Energy (DOE) finds that gas production from shale and tight formations may be on pace for its first annual decline in nearly a quarter century, associated gas in legacy oil basins could inject new growth for both domestic use and export. The country’s globally dominant and strategic role could have a durable legacy that goes beyond shifting political sands and changes in the upstream landscape. Since 2011, the US has been the world’s largest natural gas producer, surpassing Russia, with its exporting role taking on even greater significance from 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine upended global commoditie
Also in this section
24 March 2026
It is an unusual story of out with the new and in with the old, as America First Refining shows the US going back to trusted energy security developments
23 March 2026
A complex and sometimes contradictory web of factors that include unpredictable oil prices, the globalisation of LNG markets, the expansion of Middle Eastern sovereign capital and the growth of datacentre demand will shape the energy landscape beyond 2026
23 March 2026
The Strait of Hormuz crisis highlights how key waterways can become global chokepoints
20 March 2026
Attacks on key oil and LNG assets across the Gulf mean a prolonged supply disruption, with damage to Qatar’s export capacity undermining confidence in the global gas system
