Friday, May 15, 2026
Earthstone Energy

Nodding Donkeys Fail as Long Shale Wells Make Pumping Oil Harder

From Bloomberg Imagine trying to slurp a thick chocolate shake through a J-shaped straw four miles long. That’s the kind of cheek-puckering test the American shale industry must overcome to prolong a record boom in oil output. For almost a decade, drillers have been using new techniques to tap vast petroleum reserves scattered within deep, porous rock layers in places