U.S. crude oil production falls 6.6% in 2005

The United States imported record amounts of refined petroleum in 2005 to make up for the biggest decline in U.S. oil production since 1949, the American Petroleum Institute said Thursday.

For all of 2005, U.S. crude oil production fell 6.6% to 5.06 million barrels a day, the largest percentage decline in more than 50 years. Imports of crude oil declined marginally to 10 million barrels a day, while imports of refined petroleum soared 13.9% to a record 3.48 million barrels a day.