Well tests during shale boom come under a cloud

Houston

TESTS done on new wells that boosted the fortunes of oil developers by billions of dollars during the US shale boom are increasingly coming under scrutiny.

The one-day performance tests, which regularly spike company shares on their results, don't provide enough data to predict future potential, according to a study by Drillinginfo, an Austin, Texas-based analytics and data firm. Additionally, few rules or standards govern the tests, industry observers say, making for inconsistent findings at best.