Outlook Live: Trouble brews for US shale
Global energy demand will recover as the pandemic recedes, but production in the Lower 48 may already have reached its apogee
US onshore shale may have already hit peak production and could struggle to ever match pre-pandemic growth levels, according to a panel of experts on a PE Live webcast late last week. “I think the expectation is that US onshore production will remain flat, perhaps grow slightly, and that is mainly a function of access to capital and what investors want,” says Bobby Tudor, chairman at US bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Over the past year, the EIA recorded a 1.43mn bl/d plunge in Lower 48 oil production—at its worst sinking to 8mn bl/d—as the pandemic triggered demand destruction and sunk global commodity prices. Since the worst of the economic lockdown ended in May, US production has gr

Also in this section
2 June 2025
It is time to acknowledge that the US-Saudi Arabia nexus is driving a fundamental shift in OPEC strategy
2 June 2025
More than anything else, weak Chinese gas demand is providing relief to EU consumers, but it is uncertain how long this relief will last
30 May 2025
Energy majors argue transition debate has started to factor in the complexities of demand shifts and the wider role for gas
29 May 2025
Sovereignty is the watchword for the new government, but there are still upstream opportunities for those willing to work closely with the state