Chevron : How technology unlocked the permian basin’s potential

Nicole Champenoy recalls assessing the Permian Basin's potential about a decade ago, when the oil and gas industry was facing a years-long challenge.

Vast amounts of oil remained beneath the surface, but figuring out a way to release it was proving difficult. The oil was trapped in dense rock, and technologies at the time weren't sophisticated enough to recover it economically.

"It was a bit of a tease," said Champenoy, shale and tight asset class director at Chevron. "We knew the oil was there, but the industry didn't know how to get it out of the ground."