North America’s fossil fuels market has been transformed by unconventional extractions – US shale plays and Canadian oil sands – and light, tight oil is coming of age, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) executive director.

That transformation is becoming widespread as other areas across the world such as Australia and East Africa join the revolution, where expectations are high for LNG exports. Fueling the growth is technology, with eyes worldwide centered on the US and how the country works to improve technology, lower impact on water resources, and ...