The United States set a new record in 2018 for petroleum and natural gas production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
U.S. petroleum and natural gas production increased by 16% and 12%, respectively, in 2018, and these totals combined established a new production record, EIA said.
The country surpassed Russia in 2011 to become the world’s largest producer of natural gas and surpassed Saudi Arabia in 2018 to become the world’s largest producer of petroleum. Last year’s increase was one of the largest absolute petroleum and natural gas production increases from a single country in history, according to EIA.
The United States produced 28.7 quadrillion British thermal units of petroleum in 2018 — composed of 80% crude oil and condensate, and 20% natural gas plant liquids.
U.S. dry natural gas production increased by 12% in 2018 to 28.5 billion cubic feet per day, reaching a new record high for the second year in a row, EIA said.
Natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica/Point Pleasant shales of Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania made Appalachia the largest natural gas-producing region in the country.
