Yesterday's announcement comes as US shale producers are under pressure to cut production in a face-off with Saudi Arabia which refuses to cut its own to lift crude oil prices back up.

"When unconventional wells are not performing to expectations, operators often try to meet production targets by continuing to produce at low rates, drilling more wells, or refracturing the existing wells using a ‘pump and pray' approach," Baker Hughes vice president, integrated technology Hans-Christian Freitag said.

"In today's oil price scenario, however, operators need a more economic and consistent method of improving recovery. The NextWave production rejuvenation solution gives them that ability."

Baker Hughes' big sell is that the NextWave solution is based on a logical, four-step stage-gate process that includes candidate well screening and selection, well diagnostics, program design and well site execution.

The Baker Hughes team first analyses field production data, well histories and decline curves, and ranks wells according to rejuvenation risks and economic potential.

The team then performs comprehensive well diagnostics, including review of original completions and stimulation design, assessment of the wellbore's structural condition and mechanical integrity, and evaluation of reservoir quality and producing intervals.

Following this, an appropriate rejuvenation program is designed that includes wellbore cleanout, installation of artificial lift, recompletion and/or stimulation via a targeted refracturing program.

During the fourth step, the Baker Hughes team designs a detailed operational plan, manages the wellsite activities and monitors and collects data on treatment effectiveness to help further drive efficiency, reliability and reservoir understanding.

This approach provides a pathway to improving the economic sustainability of North American shale plays.