Oil and gas fields, no matter how productive, eventually decline. Before the transformative impact of the shale boom, U.S. oil production had been steadily falling for decades, while natural gas output had plateaued. The Shale Boom’s Impact on U.S. Production But the rise of shale drilling changed everything. Beginning in 2006, U.S. natural gas production surged by an impressive 94%, and by 2009, oil production also turned a corner, ultimately soaring by 170%. U.S. Field Production of Crude Oil. Energy Information Administration The End of…
