Share this article

Oil 101: How Easy Money Enabled the Shale Revolution, Feat. Tracy Shuchart

An oil and commodities expert breaks down how the shale revolution reshaped global energy power and why oil went below $0 earlier this year.

Updated Sep 14, 2021, 8:55 a.m. Published Jun 23, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
(zhengzaishuru/Shutterstock)
(zhengzaishuru/Shutterstock)

An oil and commodities expert breaks down how the shale revolution reshaped global energy power and why oil went below $0 earlier this year.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

For more episodes and free early access before our regular 3 p.m. Eastern time releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.

This episode is sponsored by Bitstamp and Ciphertrace.

Today on the Brief:

  • PayPal and Venmo reportedly adding crypto buying and selling
  • Trump executive order temporarily suspends H1-B visa program
  • Continued growth in bitcoin derivatives

Our main conversation:

Tracy Shuchart is an oil- and commodities-focused trader in the private equity space known for her wide-ranging insights on financial Twitter (FinTwit).

See also: Macro Investors Sound Off! Featuring Ari Paul, Spencer Bogart and David Nage

In this conversation, she and NLW discuss:

  • Why the shale revolution of the last 10 years shifted the power balance in global energy among the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia
  • How easy money in the wake of the Great Financial Crisis enabled the shale revolution as much as new technology
  • Why after the 2014-2016 oil crash it was inexperienced private equity firms that picked up where banks left off with shale
  • How a growing focus on dividends and cutting costs was creating structural problems for shale even before the COVID-19 crisis
  • How COVID-19 coincided with a contentious negotiation between Saudi Arabia and Russia that ultimately sent prices to less than $0

Find our guest online:
Twitter: @chigrl
On the web: chigrl.com

For more episodes and free early access before our regular 3 p.m. Eastern time releases, subscribe with Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocketcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher, RadioPublica, iHeartRadio or RSS.

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

Strategy’s STRD credit spread has tightened over past month even as bitcoin struggles

Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman of Strategy (MSTR)

The narrowing spread between yields on STRD and the 10-year U.S. Treasury could signal boosted demand for the preferred stock.

What to know:

  • STRD’s credit spread versus the U.S. 10-year Treasury narrowed to a new low on Friday.
  • Strategy sold $82.2 million of STRD through its ATM program in the week ended Dec. 14, the largest weekly issuance since launch.
  • Historical ATM data shows STRD has recently dominated preferred issuance among Strategy’s offerings.