Energy · 1998

Shale gas revolution

Slickwater fracking of the Barnett Shale unlocks vast tight gas and oil.

Mitchell Energy made slickwater fracturing of the Barnett Shale economic around 1998, and horizontal wells multiplied its reach in the 2000s. US oil output roughly doubled from 2008 to 2019, making the US the largest producer, and cheap gas displaced much US coal power.

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