US shale oil firms seek new $40 price target

For leading US shale oil producers, $40 is the new $70.

Less than a year ago major shale firms were saying they needed oil above $60 a barrel to produce more; now some say they will settle for far less in deciding whether to crank up output after the worst oil price crash in a generation.

Their latest comments highlight the industry’s remarkable resilience, but also serve as a warning to rivals and traders: A retreat in US oil production that would help ease global oversupply and let prices recover may prove shorter than some may have expected.