The expansion has boosted U.S. exports and brought down energy costs here at home.

Natural gas is a byproduct of oil production, and there’s been a lot of that in Texas. The excess gas has depressed prices.

Stay with us here — think about chicken parts. Higher demand for white breast meat means an excess of chicken legs.

Publicly held Diamondback Energy is buying privately held oil driller Endeavor Energy Resources, creating a company worth $50 billion.

Big companies have been paying billions to acquire smaller competitors — and their drilling rights.

The Permian Basin, which runs through West Texas and New Mexico, produces more oil than most countries.

Shortages of labor and materials are making it hard to drill and maintain wells.

Burning excess natural gas can be less costly than figuring out a way to use it, but the practice spurs climate change and hurts air quality.

It outperformed San Francisco, New York City and Los Angeles.

Analysts have raised questions about the limits of shale oil wells in the United States.