Abstract: Shale oil(tight oil) plays are widely distributed in Permian,Williston,GOM,Anadarko and many other sedimentary basins in the U.S.The proved reserves of shale plays keep increasing year by year and account for about half of U.S.proved crude oil reserves.Approximately 80% of shale oil production comes from Permian Basin,Bakken and Eagle Fords plays.Favorable geological conditions are the fundamental factor for the shale oil development in the U.S.Affected by the slump in oil prices in 2014,the count of active rigs in the U.S.shale plays dropped dramatically,leading to the decrease of shale oil production.But the growth of shale oil production has recovered and made new highs since mid-2016,indicating a great potential for shale oil development in the U.S.The U.S. shale oil production is expected to keep increasing in the next decade,and to be the primary source of oil production growth in the U.S.

Key words: oil production, active rig count, recoverable resource, proved reserve, tight oil, shale oil, the U.S.