WSJ: The Man Who Pioneered the Shale-Gas Revolution

George P. Mitchell is a stubborn man.

The 93-year-old retired energy wildcatter may also be the reason that the U.S. produces more oil and natural gas now than at any time since Ronald Reagan was president. His refusal to accept failure when testing unconventional tactics to extract natural gas from rock formations eventually paid off, revolutionizing the American energy industry.

Early in his career, in 1952, Mr. Mitchell acquired leases on thousands of acres north of Fort Worth, Texas, where others had drilled unsuccessful wells. He decided to try a brand-new technology to get at the gas he believed was buried there. Then called a hydrafrac—and now commonly known as hydraulic fracturing—the technique successfully unlocked the fuel, turned Mitchell Energy into a successful midsize oil and gas explorer and helped make Mr. Mitchell a billionaire.  MORE