US Retains Lead in Global Crude Oil Production, Output Growth to Continue Through 2027, EIA Says

The US remained the world's largest crude oil producer in 2025 and is set to extend its lead as higher shale productivity continues to support output growth, the US Energy Information Administration said Thursday. Averaging 13.6 million barrels per day of crude oil and lease condensate, the US established a new production record in 2025, surpassing the previous high of 13.2 million b/d in 2024. The EIA said US output was about 40% higher than production in Russia and Saudi Arabia. Improved drilling productivity and operating efficiency across major shale basins helped producers increase output despite lower oil prices. West Texas Intermediate crude averaged $65 per barrel in 2025, down from $77/bbl in 2024 as global oversupply weighed on prices, the agency said. The Permian Basin led production growth after crude oil output increased 4% to 6.6 million b/d in 2025 from 6.3 million b/d a year earlier. The basin contributed about 48% of total US crude oil production, according to the EIA. Shale development reversed decades of declining US crude oil production after 2008 and transformed the country into the world's largest crude oil producer. The EIA said shale production has.