Total production of crude oil and natural gas across the U.S. continued to surge in November 2017, putting U.S. oil production atop 10 million barrels per day for the first time ever, according to a monthly report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Total U.S. crude oil production in November 2017 climbed 4.0% month on month, from 9.65 MMbbl/d in October 2017 to 10.04 MMbbl/d in November 2017, putting oil output 13.1% higher year on year from levels recorded in November 2016, the EIA said in its latest "Monthly Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production" report released Jan. 31.
On an absolute basis, production from the Gulf of Mexico saw the biggest increase, increasing 209,000 bbl/d, or 14.4%, to near 1.67 MMbbl/d in November 2017. Also of note, Texas production increased 114,000 bbl/d, or 3.0%, to reach 3.89 MMbbl/d. Only a few areas saw a decline in production and all by a slight amount.
According to its latest Short-term Energy Outlook, the EIA expects total U.S. crude oil production to average 10.3 MMbbl/d in 2018, up 10% from 2017.
"If achieved, this would be the highest annual average U.S. oil production on record, surpassing the previous record of 9.6 million b/d set in 1970," the agency wrote in a Jan. 18 post.
The EIA expects crude oil production to continue to increase in 2019, reaching an average of 10.8 MMbbl/d.

Gross wet gas production in the U.S. increased 2.68 Bcf/d to 95.78 Bcf/d in November 2017, from 93.10 Bcf/d in October 2017, positioning total U.S. wet gas production almost 6.7 Bcf/d, or 7.5%, above levels reported in November 2016, the EIA said.
Pennsylvania led the increase with production up almost 1.2 Bcf/d, or 8.0%, on the month. Also of note, Louisiana saw output rise 361 MMcf/d, or 5.6%. Production in Alaska increased 302 MMcf/d, or 3.3%; and Texas gas output climbed 289 MMcf/d, or 1.3%. Three other states — West Virginia, Wyoming and Ohio — saw production rise by more than 100 MMcf/d on the month. Again, only a few areas saw a decline in production and all by a slight amount.
