Crude from tight oil now the primary source of oil from the U.S.
Hydraulically fractured wells now account for the majority of the crude oil produced in the U.S., according to the EIA. Based on the most recent data available, crude oil produced from hydraulic fracturing now makes up 51% of total oil production in the country.
The information compiled by the EIA showed that in 2000, approximately 23,000 hydraulically fractured wells produced 102 MBOPD in the U.S., making up less than 2% of the national total. By 2015, the number of hydraulically fractured wells grew to an estimated 300,000, and production from those wells had grown to more than 4.3 MMBOPD, 42-times more than at the turn of the century.
The oil produced from hydraulically fractured wells comes primarily from tight oil formations including the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin in Texas, and the Bakken and Three Forks formation of Montana and North Dakota.
Hydraulic fracturing is not limited to just tight oil formation, or to horizontal drilling. Fracing has been successfully used in directional and vertical wells, in tight formations and reservoirs, and in offshore crude oil production.
It is ironic, given the importance of fracing to overall U.S. production, that presidential hopefuls advertise their hopes of putting a stop to the industry.
“By the time we get through all of my conditions, I do not think there will be many places in America where fracing will continue to take place,” said Hillary Clinton.
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