[Click on chart to enlarge]
Source: U.S. Energy Information
Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly
Strong growth in U.S. crude oil production since the fourth quarter of 2011 is
due mainly to higher output from North Dakota, Texas,and federal
leases in the Gulf of Mexico, with total U.S. production during the first
quarter of 2012 topping 6 million barrels per day (bbl/d) for the first time in
14 years.
After remaining steady between 5.5 million and 5.6 million bbl/d during each of
the first three quarters of 2011, EIA estimates that U.S. average quarterly oil
production grew to over 5.9 million bbl/d during the fourth quarter and then
surpassed 6 million bbl/d during the first quarter of 2012, according to the
latest output estimates from EIA's May Petroleum Supply Monthly report (see
chart below). The last time U.S. quarterly oil production was above 6 million
bbl/d was during October-December 1998.
[Click on chart to enlarge]
Source: U.S. Energy Information
Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly
The roughly 6% growth in U.S. oil production from October 2011 through March
2012 is largely the result of increases in oil output in North Dakota, Texas,
and the Gulf of Mexico. After passing California in December 2011 to become the
third largest oil producing
state, North Dakota then jumped ahead of Alaska in March 2012 as the state
with the second largest oil output [Please see remarks below -- D.R.]. Texas remains far ahead in the number one
production spot. [Full story]
(Please see my post "North Dakota Tops Alaska in Oil Production, Trailing Only Texas," including my remarks. North Dakota produced an average of 609,000 barrels of crude oil every day in
April 2012, another record, and up from 577,000 barrels a day in March 2012, according to EIA. Also, please see "EIA Expects Higher U.S. Crude Production," Aaron and David Rachovich, "U.S. Crude Oil Production, 1970-2011 -- EIA" and "Texas Crude Oil Production, Jan 2007-Jul 2012" -- D.R.)