There is no reason for the US government to pay to take oil out of the ground to put it into the ground elsewhere.
Fracking has made the US an oil exporter. As others mentioned, fracking has made the US the world's lowest cost producer.
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If top US leadership was less demented, they could secretly "buy" up all of these $-35 May contracts and get paid 35 dollars a barrel to put it in the strategic reserve.
But if such an agreement had been made in Congress and the US was obligated to buy at a certain (positive) price, you can bet the price wouldn't be $-35 right now.
The breakeven point for US shale producers is around $40-50. For the Saudis it is at around $10. In what way is the US the lowest cost producer?