As the U.S. shale boom unfolded, the number of oil wells that were drilled but never opened for production steadily rose. Now, that figure has plunged by a surprising 10% in the newest sign yet of tough times for drillers.
A weighty decline in the so-called fracklog is perhaps the most salient gauge of a developing slowdown in U.S. shale. It shows that explorers are no longer racing to drill wells faster than they can complete them.
