Useful terms and expressions

• to rev up – увеличивать, наращивать (обороты,, темпы)

• private equity – сектор прямого частного инвестирования

• to avail oneself of – использовать, воспользоваться

• a bid – стремление, попытка

• to rebalance – восстанавливать равновесие, изменять соотношение сил

• to accelerate – ускорять, форсировать

• to bet – быть уверенным, делать ставку

• to branch out – начать новое дело, распространяться, разветвлять

• theme park – парк отдыха и развлечений

• debt-fueled investment – инвестиции с использованием заемных средств

TEXT 6

Translate the article into Russian orally.

U.S. Shale Producers Face Reality, Cut Output

Some of America’s biggest shale producers are beginning to ratchet back oil and gas production for the first time in years, bending to the reality that a global glut will keep prices depressed.

The production cuts, announced as shale companies reported dismal earnings in recent days, stand in stark contrast to the past year, when many U.S. drillers kept the taps turned on even as oil prices plunged from nearly $100 a barrel to about $30. American oil satisfies 10% of the world’s daily needs, putting U.S. production on par with output from Russia and Saudi Arabia.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries continues to pump at full tilt, further pressuring higher-cost operators such as U.S. shale producers. Last week, Saudi Arabia oil minister Ali al-Naimi bluntly told energy executives in Houston that the supply problem will only be resolved when low prices force companies to stop producing the oil that is most expensive to extract and sell.

So after years of boosting oil and gas flows across Oklahoma, Texas and North Dakota, Continental Resources Inc., Devon Energy Corp. and Marathon Oil Corp. say they plan to pull roughly 10% less from the ground in 2016 than they did last year

One hurdle to throttling back production in the U.S. is that shale drillers have become more efficient, tapping wells faster, for less money, and coaxing more fuel out of each one. But other companies have been forced to keep pumping just to bring in cash so they could make interest payments on their heavy debt loads.

One way companies are trying to put a lid on production this year is by waiting to pump wells they have already drilled. That trend is creating a large inventory of oil and gas wells that will be ready to turn on when crude prices finally do rebound.

IHS, the consulting firm, is forecasting that U.S. oil output could fall from more than 9 million barrels a day to as little as 8.3 million barrels a day by this summer.

If that drop does materialize, it could boost crude prices back to the $40-a-barrel range, according to IHS.

One risk, though, is that as prices move higher, some producers may be tempted to turn on the spigot once again, a move that could in turn drive prices back down. If that happens, prices could collapse even below current levels, said Jamie Webster, senior director of oil markets for IHS.

The Wall Street Journal, February 29^th, 2016

NOTES

if that drop does materialize; when crude prices finally do rebound - глагол do служит для выделения сказуемого и передается словами: «действительно», «же», «все же», «ведь» и др.