[rlmorel]

Great linked article, thackney, thanks for posting it!

[thackney]

If you want more of that:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/07/27/father-of-the-fracking-boom-dies-george-mitchell-urged-greater-regulation-of-drilling/

http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/16/george-mitchell-gas-business-energy-shale.html

EOG, Devon and some others took his work added horizontal steerable drilling and then is when it really took off.