Chevron Corporation plans to cut its total capital and exploratory budget for a fourth consecutive year in 2018—to $18.3 billion, compared to the $19.8 billion that it planned for this year, but the supermajor is significantly boosting spending on U.S. shale, especially in the Permian. Chevron’s capital expenditure for 2017 envisaged a $2.5 billion allotment for shale and tight oil and gas, most of which was to be invested in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. For 2018, Chevron’s investment in U.S. shale includes $3.3 billion—just for the Permian—and another $1.0 billion for other shale and tight rock investments, for a total of $4.3 billion. “We’re fully funding our advantaged Permian Basin position and dedicating approximately three-quarters of our spend to projects that are expected to realize cash flow within two years,” Chairman and CEO John Watson said in Chevron’s press release. “With production currently exceeding guidance […]