The dip in oil prices isn’t making a huge impact yet on the vast majority of U.S. shale production. According to a report by research consultancy IHS Energy , most shale plays are economic and ~80% of potential drilling in 2015 would remain strong at WTI crude oil prices as low as $70 per barrel. “Since 2008 the cumulative growth in U.S. tight oil production has been 3.5 million b/d—far exceeding supply gains from the rest of the world combined—making tight oil the key driver of global supply growth,” said Jim Burkhard, Vice President, IHS. “While current lower crude oil prices do present challenges for new investment, IHS analysis shows that the vast majority of potential U.S. supply growth in 2015 remain economical at $70 for WTI.” WTI traded at ~$76 on Monday, a nearly 20% drop since September. As a result, Bakken operators, including Emerald […]