U.S. oil production to return by November

DOE: Recovery depends on pace of repairs to damaged rigs, refineries

WASHINGTON – Domestic oil production and refinery output should return to pre-hurricane levels by November, the Energy Department said Wednesday, as repairs are made to damaged oil rigs and Gulf coast refineries.

The department
But barring an unusually slow pace of repairs, the agency said domestic oil production should return to just under 5.4 million barrels a day in November, the level it was in August before Hurricane Katrina disrupted most of the Gulf production and knocked out ten Gulf coast refineries.

The EIA said U.S. refining capacity also should rebound with an anticipated output of gasoline and other fuels of nearly 16.4 million barrels a day in November, the same as the August levels.

AP