Investigative journalist Bethany McLean explains the underlying economic and geologic mechanics that prevent the U.S. fracking industry from generating sustainable financial returns.
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“A fracked well declines really sharply after the first year, which means in order to keep production levels up, you have to keep reinvesting. So you're on this capital treadmill, and that's why the industry has not been financially viable, because you have to keep reinvesting billions of dollars in order to keep production growing.”
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More from Bethany McLean
Opinion
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Bethany McLeanJun 9, 2020▶ 30:53#85 Bethany McLean: Crafting a Narrative
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Bethany McLeanJun 9, 2020▶ 1:20:12#85 Bethany McLean: Crafting a Narrative
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Bethany McLeanJun 9, 2020▶ 1:23:52#85 Bethany McLean: Crafting a Narrative
Insight
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“If you're inside a company and your pay depends on that company, that's that great Upton Sinclair quote, right? You can never tell a man anything if his wallet depends on him not hearing it. That's something like that. If you're inside a company and everybody …”
Bethany McLeanJun 9, 2020▶ 12:01#85 Bethany McLean: Crafting a Narrative
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“Most of what Enron did was actually perfectly legal. So I coined this term once, which I love, which is a legal fraud. And that's what Enron was, because most of the transactions they engaged in, even the ones that appeared to be the most problematic, actually…”
Bethany McLeanJun 9, 2020▶ 12:57#85 Bethany McLean: Crafting a Narrative
AssertionPartly supported
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