OREANDA-NEWS. June 16, 2015. The latest edition of Inside Credit features Fitch Ratings' revised oil and gas price assumptions. Increasing efficiencies and price pressure related to the U.S. shale boom support Fitch's lower corporate forecast assumptions for long-term WTI and Henry Hub natural gas prices.

Fitch's price deck now assumes long-term WTI prices at \\$70/bbl, down from \\$75/bbl, supported by a drop in median full cycle costs. However, long-term Brent price remains at \\$80/bbl.

'The benefits of the shale revolution that we've seen in the U.S.--lower completion costs, longer laterals and more efficient well designs--have been difficult to replicate elsewhere, leading us to increase the spread between Brent and WTI,' says Mark Sadeghian, Senior Director.

Fitch's price assumptions for Henry Hub natural gas price were revised down to \\$3.75/mcf, reflecting increasingly efficient U.S. shale production, and tepid demand relative to the boost in supply.

Other topics covered in this week's edition of Inside Credit include:

-M&A Pace Increases Risk of U.S. Companies Overleveraging
-Greece IMF Bundling Highlights Extreme Liquidity Pressure
-Saudi Sovereign Borrowing Could Spur Corporate Sukuk
-Deutsche Bank's CEO Change Highlights Strategy Challenge
-Limited Upside, Potential Downside from HSBC's Pivot
-UK Bank Ring-Fence; More Flexible, Group Limits Unclear
-Turkey Election Heightens Political, Policy Uncertainty
-Public Power Riding U.S. Economic Recovery and Low Rates
-Video: Shifting Landscapes of European Structured Finance
-Teleconference Replay: PPP Counterparty Obligations Exposure Draft
-Global Banking Conference Stops in Hong Kong and Singapore - June 17 and 19