Crude oil production in October from seven major US shale plays is expected to drop 80,000 b/d to 5.21 million b/d, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s latest Drilling Productivity Report (DPR). That’s less than projected declines for each of the previous 4 months (OGJ Online, Aug. 10, 2015). The DPR focuses on the Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Marcellus, Niobrara, Permian, and Utica, which altogether accounted for 95% of US oil production increases and all US natural gas production increases during 2011-13. The Eagle Ford has represented a bulk of the overall declines since overall output from the plays began trending downward during the spring. EIA projects October production from the South Texas play to decline 62,000 b/d to 1.42 million b/d. The Bakken is expected to fall 21,000 b/d to 1.18 million b/d, while the Niobrara is expected to fall 19,000 b/d to 380,000 b/d.