Vallee Times Blog

For the U.S. oil industry, 2017 ended with a comparative bang. Oil prices closed out 2017 at $60.07 per barrel, the highest close since June 2015 ($60.32), as buyers capitalized on surprise drops in both output and commercial crude stocks. Since mid-2017, U.S. West Texas Intermediate...

Investments in U.S. shale are soaring once again after 2014’s collapsing oil prices led bank lenders to retreat from funding oil production. Despite scattered concerns around returns, surging optimism has led investors to dole out cash for drilling and output –taking advantage of...

As shale oil investors seek higher returns, E&P companies are looking for quick, efficient means of reducing costs. With U.S. shale production on the rise, digitalization and automation are taking control of the oilfields and developments in artificial intelligence (“AI”) are...

The International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook 2017 report once more points to the future expansion of US oil exports. “A remarkable ability to unlock new resources cost-effectively pushes combined United States oil and gas output to a level 50% higher than any other country has ever...

The future of the energy industry in our post-Shale Revolution America will turn on a prudent and sustained application of capital -- human capital and technological capital, as well as the more traditional capital resources. 
As an industry observer and active participant, it is...

As the oil and gas industry moves into the digital realm, nanobots, drones and integrated remote pipeline sensors aren’t the only technologies invading the oilfield.
Human resources software developers are pursuing innovative ways to meet the demands of this “cell phone to well...

Machine learning is transforming the oil and gas industry, potentially bringing billions of dollars in savings over the next decade. The only thing slowing its maximum potential is the need for big data and the talent and capital to drive the technology forward.
With five generations in the...

It is no secret that the shale revolution dramatically altered the geopolitical map of oil production, giving the US a prominent role, and reducing our reliance on imports. Along the path to the much coveted self-sufficiency, the US has also had a chance to export massive amounts of...

When Sutton Hart Press launched my new book Giant Shifts: Energy Trends Reshaping America’s Future I expected some energy industry buzz – that happened;
Here’s a link to the press release
But, the surprise was when my publisher reported sales beyond expectations across...

Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans to transition away from oil dependence by 2030 remain in a fledging state, according to the Saudi Ministry of Finance’s 2017 first quarter fiscal performance report released May 11.
Props to the nation for cutting its budget deficit by nearly 71% in...