U.S. shale focuses on returning capital to shareholders in 2022. Deloitte: the shale patch is on track for massive free cash flows of a combined $172 billion in 2022 alone. Several large shale producers aren’t boosting production in 2022. After years of plowing money into boosting production and thus depressing oil prices, the U.S. shale patch emerged from the pandemic-inflicted slump with unwavering capital discipline which, combined with $100+ oil, is paying off with record cash flows for American oil producers. The largest shale producers have left years of bleeding cash behind, focusing on returning capital to shareholders from the record cash flows they have been generating for several months now. As they report first-quarter figures these days, public companies vow continued disciplined spending and only modest production growth as “drill, baby, drill” is no longer shale’s primary goal. Investors, in turn, are rewarding the discipline—most of the 20 […]