Most Fracking wells are productive only for a year or less, whereas most traditional wells are productive for 20 to 30 years.
Also, unlike traditional wells, Fracking wells have a very high maintenance cost after the initial drilling.
And, most Fracking wells have a “break even” point around $55 to $65 a barrel, which means the price of oil doesn't need to fall all that far in order to put a lot of Frackers out of business.
Finally, in the midst of America's Energy Boom, the price of WTI closed just under $108 a barrel today.
How did that happen!
As I understand it, it is not so much the “well”, but a particular vein that is being fractured. Once it is dry, a new vein or spider is fractured in close proximity. I just signed a fracking lease not too long ago. Around my “general” area, it is expected they will operate for a couple generations as the drilling and fracturing is starting at a depth of 6000 ft., well below the water table and there is a fat pocket many hundreds of feet thick beneath us.