The game-changing impact of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of shale oil and gas is becoming increasingly evident in the nation where the innovation was first implemented. The well documented success of fracking in the US is likely to trigger greater focus on South Africa’s shale gas reserves which, despite continuous paper-based downgrades, remain among the largest in the world.
The US Energy Information Administration’s latest information (graph right) shows that during April, the United States exported 268 000 barrels per day of crude oil – the highest in 15 years. Exports have exceeded 200 000 b/d for the past five months.
The surge in US crude exports is the result of rising production. It averaged 7.5m b/d in 2013, up almost 1m b/d on the previous year. Last year’s increase of 15% was the largest annual growth since 1940 and the highest level of production since 1989. According to the EIA, production has continued to rise this year, hitting 8.2m b/d in March.
The EIA says  the increase in domestic production supported high refinery utilization rates, reduced US imports of crude oil, and changed domestic and global crude oil and petroleum product trade flows. Crude oil production gains were geographically concentrated in Texas and North Dakota, which together accounted for 83% of U.S. production. Other states with significant production increases included Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado.
