American shale drillers say there are limits to how much and how quickly they can boost shaky oil supplies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, cautioning that supply-chain issues, investors wary of overspending, thinning inventories and other problems constrict growth.
Leaders of the fracking companies that helped make the U.S. the world’s top oil producer say they are responding to calls by the Biden administration and others to increase production after oil prices this week topped $130 a barrel and gasoline prices surged, threatening to dent the broader economy.
But the executives say that some investors, who felt burned after shale drillers gave priority to expansion over profits last decade and lost billions, are still concerned that the companies might spend too much if they return to rapid growth.
They also say that a flight of capital from the fossil-fuel…
