Shale after the US: unconventional production is going global

Historically, shale and the US have been almost synonymous; shale was the silver bullet that in 2013 pushed the US from declining conventional production to global production dominance. It has since retained its top spot and its extensive geological resources continue to fuel the nation’s economy. The Energy Information Administration reports that crude oil production in the US Lower 48 shale plays increased annually by around 3% in the first half of 2025 to reach 11.1 million barrels of oil per day (mbbl ...