[narrowrail]

What your comment misses is the significance of the combination of directional drilling (i.e. horizontal) and hydraulic fracturing. The process of fracturing shale rock formations in order to acquire crude oil has been refined for decades. It will only get more refined.

Your speculations about the future seem logical, but they are speculations nonetheless.

>Nobody is pretending that the concept of fracking didn't exist prior to the 1990s.

I do not think that is a fair statement. I'm a radio jukie (mostly NPR, but non-profit radio, in general). I certainly get the idea from these sources that fracing is something new. My father was fracing wells in Saudi Arabia in the '60s and my grandfather was drilling wells in OK in the 20s, so I have some background, FWIW.

[ArkyBeagle]

there's a reference to using dynamite and a water column in the 1949 movie "Tulsa". I'd always heard that this was done in the '40s, maybe even in the 30s to "wake up" a dead well.

Is that fracking? It's mostly likely about breaking rock, but it's not hydraulic fracturing. It's more like what perforating is now. Or something.