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
21 April 2026
After overcoming a COVID-induced demand collapse with several years of successful market management, geopolitical events have conspired to provide the pact’s biggest test to date
21 April 2026
The regime’s policy of using nuclear ambiguity as a deterrent may have failed but it has realised it has other cards to play, while its neighbours are reappraising their approach to security
21 April 2026
As the global energy system undergoes a fundamental realignment, Algihaz Holdings has established itself as a critical player bridging conventional energy markets and the next generation of renewable infrastructure.
21 April 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress is taking place from 11-15 October 2026 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.






