With the advent of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” US oil production has risen by 30%, and gas production by 25%, in just five years. Shale gas contributed almost nothing to US natural-gas supplies at the start of the century; by last year, its share had soared to 34%, with the US Energy Information Administration predicting a further rise to one-half by 2040.
特别地，正在美国展开的页岩能源革命所掀起的冲击波正在引发全球反响。随着液压致裂法的出现，短短五年内美国石油产量已增加了30%，天然气产量增加了25%。21世纪初，页岩气对于美国天然气供给几乎无关紧要；到去年已占天然气供给量的34%，美国能源信息局（US Energy Information Administration）预计到2040年将升至一半。拜页岩气所赐，美国国内能源价格大幅下降。