U.S. Achieves Oil and Natural Gas Production World Record in 2018

U.S. petroleum and natural gas production increased by 16% and by 12%, respectively, in 2018, and these totals combined established a new production record, according to the Energy Information Administration. In 2011, the country overtook Russia to become the world’s largest producer of natural gas and just last year surpassed Saudi Arabia in the production of petroleum. Last year’s boost, in particular, was one of the largest absolute petroleum and natural gas production increases from a single country in history, according to the agency.

The United States produced 28.7 quadrillion British thermal units of petroleum in 2018, setting a new record of nearly 11.0 million barrels per day, with most of the production coming from the Permian region of western Texas and eastern New Mexico. U.S. natural gas production increased to 28.5 billion cubic feet per day reaching a new record high for the second year in a row.