The steady rise of US shale production has stalled a strong week of oil price gains, as market fears grow that the extra oil flows could scupper Opec plans to drain the oversupplied market knocked a dollar from the price.

Oil prices have been buoyed this week by optimism that the deal between producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and major producers outside of the cartel is beginning to relieve the global glut.

The market climbed from around $54 a barrel late last week to $56.42, almost 5.5pc higher than the price before Opec agreed the historic supply deal in November.

By midday the oil price had retreated to $55.60 after new data showing the extent of the US shale industry recovery reignited market jitters.

US oil and gas flows were decimated by the two year oil rout due to higher costs for rig operators in shale-rich pockets of the States than in major producers in the Middle East and Russia.

As oil prices have doubled over the last year from lows of less than $28 a barrel to over $50 many shale producers have been able to restart flows, threatening the price rises which have allowed their revival in the first place.

Analysts at brokerage Cenkos said that the latest data shows that US output has risen by more than 6.3pc over the last six months, with some concerned that further rises will offset moves by Opec to curb output.

“Traders will look closely at the weekly rig count data, set to be released this afternoon,” Cenkos added.

David Fuller's view

Crude oil may still be the world’s most important commodity in terms of production and consumption but its price volatility this year will probably be less than what we see for most other resources.

OPEC has abandoned its ruinous death spiral policy with which it was trying to wipe out the US shale oil industry.  Less productive shale resources have been abandoned and debt-leveraged shale companies have closed, but the US is still a major producer.  Moreover, the technology of shale production is now more efficient than ever. 

Therefore we are very unlikely to see further attempts by OPEC to flood the market with oil.  And while it was inevitable that US shale production would increase as the price rose above $50, the US oil industry has no interest in driving crude oil prices back below $30. 

Oil prices in the $45 to $65 region are good for global GDP growth and also the oil industry.  However, every day crude oil faces a little more competition from green energy renewables and natural gas.  The need to reduce pollution from fossil fuels will also lower demand for petrol over the longer term.  However, crude oil will still have plenty of other industrial uses but it will trade at lower prices.

Here is a PDF of The Telegraph article.