WSJ seeks a shale reporter in Houston

The Wall Street Journal is looking for a reporter to cover the American fracking and natural-gas export industries.

Shale drillers made the U.S. the world’s top oil producer last decade as they rapidly drilled in Texas, North Dakota and Appalachia, using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques to unlock fossil fuels trapped in tight rock formations. But the companies overspent and lost billions doing so. Now that the world is short on energy, they are coming under political pressure to pump more.

Covering the performance of shale drillers is an economic and geopolitical as well as a business story. The US LNG export industry has also emerged as a vital area of coverage as Europe races to replace the natural gas it had previously supplied from Russia, and turns to America for help.

You will be tasked with breaking news and producing in-depth enterprise stories on the frackers as well as the companies seeking to export their bounty abroad.

You will need to have at least three to five years of experience, preferably covering business and finance. Energy reporting experience is a plus but not required.

You will need a demonstrated track record of dominating a beat and producing scoops and enterprise ahead of the competition. You will also need to be comfortable parsing complex data on energy production and distilling it to tell broad, thematic stories about the state of a vital industry.

Last but not least, you will need to be a team player, as this beat requires collaboration with colleagues in Houston, Washington, Europe, the Middle East and other parts of the world.

The position is based in Houston, the capital of the U.S. oil and gas industry, and you will report to the Global Energy and Climate Editor.

To apply, please submit a resume, a cover letter explaining how you would approach the role and samples of work that demonstrate your qualifications for this position.

To apply, go here.