HOUSTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. crude oil production reached a record level in 2018, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday.
According to the EIA, annual U.S. crude oil production averaged 10.96 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2018, 17 percent higher than 2017.
When it comes to crude oil production by state, the U.S. state of Texas crude oil production averaged 4.4 million b/d in 2018, as the state continued to be the most productive state in the country and made up 40 percent of the national total in 2018.
The annual production in Texas increased thanks to great growth in the Permian region in western Texas. The growth of almost 950,000 b/d in the state was nearly 60 percent of the total U.S. increase.
Growth in the Permian region, which spans parts of Texas and New Mexico, also drove a 215,000 b/d, or 45 percent, production increase in New Mexico.
The Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico's crude oil production grew by 61,000 b/d, leading to its highest annual average of 1.74 million b/d.
From 2017 to 2018, production levels in Colorado, Oklahoma, and North Dakota each grew by more than 95,000 b/d.
Increases in these states and regions were enough to offset production declines elsewhere in the country. Alaskan production decreased by 16,000 b/d and California's production declined by 13,000 b/d, the state's fourth consecutive annual decline.
U.S. crude oil production has increased significantly over the past 10 years, driven mainly by production from tight rock formations using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. EIA projects that U.S. crude oil production will continue to grow in 2019 and 2020, averaging 12.3 million b/d and 13.0 million b/d, respectively.
