Saudi Arabia's bet that the golden age of U.S. shale is over appears to be a safe one - for now, at least. (Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia’s bet that the golden age of U.S. shale is over appears to be a safe one -- for now, at least. A round-up of data on shale drillers shows they’re sticking to their pledge to cut costs, return money to shareholders and reduce debt. If they stay the course, it would validate the OPEC+ alliance’s high-stakes wager that it can curb output and drive crude prices higher without unleashing an onslaught of supply from U.S. rivals.