U.S. crude oil production experienced a significant drop in September, falling by 157,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 13.20 million bpd. This decrease marks the largest decline since January, as reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Friday.
Key Highlights:
Production Decline:
The month-over-month decline in U.S. crude oil output was primarily attributed to prolonged closures of oil and gas production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico due to Hurricanes Francine and Helene, which impacted operations before making landfall.
Offshore Gulf of Mexico:
Production from the Gulf of Mexico fell by 12% month-over-month in September, reaching 1.58 million bpd, the lowest level recorded in three years.
State-Level Insights:
In Texas, the leading oil-producing state, output increased slightly to 5.81 million bpd, surpassing the previous month’s record high of 5.80 million bpd.
Conversely, New Mexico saw a 0.2% decline in oil output, settling at 2.09 million bpd for September.
Natural Gas Production:
Gross natural gas production in the Lower 48 states also fell for the second consecutive month, averaging 114.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd).
In Texas, natural gas output eased by 0.5% to 35.83 bcfd, while production in Pennsylvania decreased by 1.6% to 19.71 bcfd.