US shale producers reported a cash outflow of more than $30bn in the first half of the year, in a sign of the challenges facing the US’s once-booming industry as the steep drop in the oil price begins to take effect.

美国页岩油气生产商报告，今年上半年现金外流超过300亿美元。该迹象表明，随着油价暴跌开始产生影响，这个一度繁荣的行业面临种种挑战。

The cash shortfall points to a rise in bankruptcies and restructurings in a sector that has expanded rapidly in the past seven years but has never covered its capital expenditure from cash flow.

现金缺口说明这个行业破产和重组数量增加。该行业在过去7年快速扩张，但其现金流一直不足以覆盖资本支出。

Capital spending by listed US independent oil and gas companies exceeded their cash from operations by about $32bn in the six months to June, close to the deficit of $37.7bn reported for the whole of 2014, according to data from Factset, an information service.

据信息提供商Factset的数据，今年上半年，独立的美国上市油气企业的资本支出超出营运现金流约320亿美元，接近2014年全年报告的赤字377亿美元。

US oil production fell in May and June, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and some analysts expect it to continue falling as financial constraints limit companies’ ability to drill and complete new wells.

美国能源情报署(US Energy Information Administration)的数据表明，美国石油产量在5月和6月出现下降。一些分析师预计，随着财务紧张制约企业的钻井和完井能力，美国石油产量还将继续下滑。

Companies have sold shares and assets and borrowed cash to increase production and add to their reserves. The aggregate net debt of US oil and gas production companies more than doubled from $81bn at the end of 2010 to $169bn by June 30 this year, according to Factset.

企业已经出售股票和资产，并借入现金来提高产量，增加现金储备。据Factset的数据，美国油气生产公司的净负债总量从2010年底的810亿美元升至今年6月30日的1690亿美元，增幅超过一倍。