In referring to the progress we've made in the shale energy business, ConocoPhillips (COP -0.02%) CEO, Ryan Lance, compared it to being in just "the first inning of a nine inning game." This is certainly a believable claim if you look at the reserve potential lurking around the globe. Thanks to energy services companies like Halliburton (HAL 0.08%) and Schlumberger (SLB 0.17%), the United States has already begun to swing the bat. It's highly likely that, as these companies continue developing technology, they take it overseas to help other nations imitate our success. It will be interesting for investors to watch the next few innings unfold. For more of our analyst's thoughts, check out our short video clip below. 

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This segment is from Tuesday's edition of "Digging for Value," in which sector analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman discuss energy and materials news with host Alison Southwick. The twice-weekly show can be viewed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It can also be found on Twitter, along with our extended coverage of the energy & materials sectors @TMFEnergy.