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Crashing Oil Prices Could Bring The US Fracking Boom To A Sudden And Disastrous End
Business Insider ^ | 11/3/2014 | Sam ro

Posted on 11/03/2014 2:09:43 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Technological advances in hydraulic fracturing have fueled what some call the Great American Shale Boom. Oil and natural gas extracted from shale basins have left the US flush with energy. It's been a boon for US energy-related jobs and equipment suppliers.

But it's not cheap to tap these so-called unconventional plays.

In other words, crashing oil prices will soon make many of these energy sources money-losing projects. Morgan Stanley estimates the average breakeven oil price for these US plays to be about $76 to $77 per barrel. Goldman Sachs puts that number at closer to $75.

If the price of oil can't cover production expenses and these companies are forced to idle their operations, then you could expect spending to drop, jobs to get cut, and delinquencies and defaults to rise.

To make matters more complicated, many of these energy companies are financing their operations by borrowing in the junk-bond market, which means borrowing rates are relatively high.

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fracking; oil; oilprices
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To: OpusatFR; thackney
The Saudis appear to be trying to crash the shaleoil industry. They cut production and raised prices to Europe and Asia, but cut prices to the US.

Hmmm...sound familiar Doc?

21 posted on 11/03/2014 2:23:24 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves" Month.)
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To: SeekAndFind
To make matters more complicated, many of these energy companies are financing their operations by borrowing in the junk-bond market, which means borrowing rates are relatively high.

Not too smart. Seems like they are in a classic price trap.

22 posted on 11/03/2014 2:23:57 PM PST by Lorianne (fed pork, bailouts, gone taxmoney)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
OMG! An oil boom/bust cycle!?
This has never happened before!!!

BTTT

23 posted on 11/03/2014 2:24:03 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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“Oil” does NOT equal purely energy. If the industry suddenly stopped producing you have no idea how high prices (across the board, on everything) would actually go. “Oil” is refined into many, MANY different forms for countless uses from (yes, fuel) what goes into our tanks, fertilizers, the saran wrap in your kitchen drawer to makeup sold in department stores. There are not very many products or consumables “out there” that do not use some form of oil. (It is kind of like it was put here for our use; creepy huh?)


24 posted on 11/03/2014 2:24:26 PM PST by Ghost of SVR4 (So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)
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To: Redleg Duke
Time for a 40% tariff on Middle Eastern oil!

No increase in government taxes and greater government interference in the market.

25 posted on 11/03/2014 2:24:50 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

hahaha....clever.


26 posted on 11/03/2014 2:25:03 PM PST by Ghost of SVR4 (So many are so hopelessly dependent on the government that they will fight to protect it.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Low prices will increase consumption and demand. Prices seesaw back and forth as capacity and demand try to catch up to one another.

It’s called The Market. (As I’m sure you and most FReepers understand.) The weak and marginal plays and players will get weeded out and some sort of equilibrium will be established until some other influence enters into the equation, like a relaxation on exports. Exposure to international pricing signals will raise prices and encourage more production.


27 posted on 11/03/2014 2:26:14 PM PST by SargeK
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To: SeekAndFind

Good. The USA engineers are forcing Mid East pirates to play. Charge to much we ramp up the fracking.


28 posted on 11/03/2014 2:26:26 PM PST by eyedigress (e(!zOld storm chaser from the west)/?s)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER
That would be Me.

Like the old travel ads said "Ski Me."

29 posted on 11/03/2014 2:26:45 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: SeekAndFind

I wonder how much the Saudis pay them to write that dribble.


30 posted on 11/03/2014 2:26:58 PM PST by jyro (French-like Democrats wave the white flag of surrender while we are winning)
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To: Iron Munro

Amazing, though, isn’t it how so many have lost faith in or are entirely ignorant of the existence and functions of markets?


31 posted on 11/03/2014 2:28:24 PM PST by SargeK
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To: Ghost of SVR4

It is common knowledge, the US has more than adequate suppies of oil should the environmentalists be shut the hell up and told to stay out of the way. Fracking has been a good thing for the US and the natural gas supply.


32 posted on 11/03/2014 2:28:38 PM PST by DaveA37
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To: SeekAndFind
Morgan Stanley estimates the average breakeven oil price for these US plays to be about $76 to $77 per barrel. Goldman Sachs puts that number at closer to $75.

Thank you for sharing, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Now go to hell.

33 posted on 11/03/2014 2:28:41 PM PST by Texas Eagle
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To: SargeK
Pipelines in No. Dak. and E. Mont. would help get more $$$ to the well heads.

The gov't has 0% interest and should help finance same. Talk about building infrastructure.....

34 posted on 11/03/2014 2:29:14 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Sacajaweau
why can’t we double our reserves at these prices. Build more storage facilities.

How many days reserve do you think we need for OPEC imports?

Why after a few years of increasing our own domestic supply should the government start building more reserve?

35 posted on 11/03/2014 2:29:22 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: painter
Your opinion?

So called conservatives wanting more government regulations, taxes and spending sounds insane.

36 posted on 11/03/2014 2:30:06 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer.)
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To: SeekAndFind

An article I read yesterday pegged the breakeven about $10 lower than the mid-70 dollar figure from Morgan-Stanley. I think the oil companies have got longer staying power than M-S is allowing for unless they’ve borrowed at too high of a rate, as noted by one poster. This will be a factor that separates the buyers from the sellers.


37 posted on 11/03/2014 2:30:06 PM PST by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
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To: Texas Eagle

RE: Thank you for sharing, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

I have a strong feeling you don’t like either of these two companies.... :)


38 posted on 11/03/2014 2:30:13 PM PST by SeekAndFind (If at first you don't succeed, put it out for beta test.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Is USA getting more oil from USA than Saudi Arabia now? Does anyone know?


39 posted on 11/03/2014 2:31:18 PM PST by MNDude
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To: SeekAndFind

Don’t worry. The price of oil will go back up after the election.


40 posted on 11/03/2014 2:33:31 PM PST by aomagrat (Gun owners who vote for democrats are too stupid to own guns.)
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