US shale oil production declines over the past year and a half are forecast to slow to 20,000 b/d in December, down from a 30,000 b/ddrop in November, US Energy Information Administration data showed Monday. December’s shale oil output is estimated to be at 4.498 million b/d, compared to 4.518 million b/d in November, the EIA said in its monthly Drilling Productivity Report. This compares to a decrease of 118,000 b/d to 4.949 million b/d over the same time period a year ago. Production peaked at 5.618 million b/d in March 2015, according to the EIA. But crude oil production in two of the four the main producing shales areas covered by the report, the Permian in West Texas and New Mexico, and Colorado’s Niobrara are forecast to increase production, while Texas’ Eagle Ford, and the Bakken Shale of North Dakota and Montana are expected to see production fall. […]