Will Shale Energy Remake U.S. Foreign Policy?, Winter 2014

The American shale oil and gas boom has crowned the U.S. as an emerging energy superpower. This development is beginning to influence U.S. strategic posture in the Middle East and Central Asia. But given the early state of knowledge and technology, it is premature to determine if the shale boom is a temporary bubble or rather is a lasting event capable of scaling up beyond the boundaries of North America and reshaping the world energy outlook. Until more clarity is reached the Middle East, despite its chronic problems, will remain the only large source of low-cost oil and the U.S. will remain the chief guarantor of its security.