US Shale Oil Production
Track shale oil production across America's major tight oil basins. Permian, Bakken, Eagle Ford, and Niobrara data via API.
US Shale Oil Production Overview
What is Shale Oil?
Shale oil (also called tight oil or light tight oil) is crude oil trapped within low-permeability shale rock formations. Unlike conventional oil that flows freely from reservoir rock, shale oil requires hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and horizontal drilling to extract.
The shale oil revolution began around 2008 when advances in horizontal drilling and multi-stage fracking made extraction economically viable. By 2018, the US became the world's largest oil producer, overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia, largely due to shale oil growth.
Shale oil is typically light, sweet crude with API gravity of 40-50° and low sulfur content, making it ideal for refining into gasoline and diesel. However, shale wells have steeper decline curves than conventional wells, requiring continuous drilling to maintain production levels.
Major US Shale Oil Basins
Permian Basin
+8% YoYTexas, New Mexico
America's most prolific oil basin, producing nearly half of all US shale oil.
Bakken Shale
+2% YoYNorth Dakota, Montana
The formation that launched the shale revolution, located in the Williston Basin.
Eagle Ford Shale
+5% YoYSouth Texas
High liquids content shale with excellent well economics in South Texas.
Niobrara / DJ Basin
+3% YoYColorado, Wyoming
Tight oil production in the Denver-Julesburg Basin of Colorado.
Shale Oil vs Conventional Oil
| Characteristic | Shale Oil | Conventional Oil |
|---|---|---|
| Extraction Method | Fracking + Horizontal Drilling | Vertical Drilling |
| Initial Production | High (1,000-3,000 bbl/day) | Moderate (100-500 bbl/day) |
| Decline Rate | Fast (60-70% year 1) | Slow (5-10% year 1) |
| Well Cost | $6-10 million | $1-5 million |
| Oil Quality | Light, Sweet (40-50° API) | Varies (20-45° API) |
Shale Oil Data via API
Access shale oil production data, rig counts, and basin analytics programmatically.
GET /v1/rig-counts/latest GET /v1/prices/latest?by_code=WTI_USD GET /v1/prices/historical?by_code=WTI_USD&interval=monthly
Frequently Asked Questions
What is shale oil?
Shale oil (also called tight oil or light tight oil) is crude oil trapped within shale rock formations. It requires hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to extract, unlike conventional oil that flows more freely from reservoir rock.
How much shale oil does the US produce?
The US produces approximately 8.5-9 million barrels of shale oil per day, representing about 65% of total US oil production. The Permian Basin alone accounts for over 6 million barrels daily.
What are the major US shale oil basins?
The four major US shale oil basins are: Permian Basin (6.2M bbl/day), Eagle Ford Shale (1.3M bbl/day), Bakken Shale (1.1M bbl/day), and Niobrara/DJ Basin (670K bbl/day).