FRACKING UPDATE: Some Shale Still Profits at $30. “Crude prices have dipped to their lowest level in more than six years, with Europe’s Brent trading close to $48 per barrel, and America’s WTI benchmark down under $43. That’s good news for consumers, but oil producers are having to make tough decisions as higher-cost plays become unprofitable. Many, therefore, expected that a bearish crude market might prove fatal to the shale boom; fracking is a relatively expensive process and just a year ago it was generally thought that few wells could operate profitably below $50 per barrel. But as Bloomberg reports, the price plunge has proven to be a galvanizing event for many in the American shale industry, and a number of firms are finding ways to make money.”