They are not “highly unprofitable.” Trust me, oil companies are not doing this for charity. Of course, when the price of oil is driven downwards on purpose by

They are not “highly unprofitable.” Trust me, oil companies are not doing this for charity. Of course, when the price of oil is driven downwards on purpose by the Saudis ramping up production (as it was a few years ago), these higher cost methods of extraction can become unprofitable. But the price of oil is again in a range where these methods are profitable.