The impact of lower oil prices on shale oil- US Shale Oil at an Inflection Point

US shale oil production continued to increase even as oil prices tumbled 50 percent but lower oil prices have begun to take their toll. Sustained drops in US oil production are expected as oil hedges expire, financing from secured lending is tightened and the high yield debt market becomes too expensive. Aside from shale oil, the lower oil price environment will also impact global oil supply but Saudi Arabia will be the main beneficiary when global oil markets become tighter and prices rebound by 2020.