According to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA), the US crude oil production reached the 10 mb/d milestone in November 2017. This is the first time that output reaches this level since 1970 and is the second highest US monthly crude oil production value ever just below the November 1970 output. The EIA also reckons that the highest production figure was reached in Texas (3.89 mb/d), followed by North Dakota (1.18 mb/d). The Gulf of Mexico (GoM) output reached 1.67 mb/d, up 14% from the October 2017 level, which was much lower because of the Hurricane Nate.
The main driver behind the current production boost trend is the increasing share of tight oil (shale), which is developing through the use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Out of the 10 mb/d reached in November 2017, around 5.09 mb/d came from these tight formations (versus 4.7 mb/d in March 2015).
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