Is the US the World’s Largest Oil Producer?

From te article Move over, Russia: U.S. is now the world’s biggest oil and gas producer

According to the above chart the US has surged ahead in “petroleum” production while Russia has dropped into third place and Saudi is coming in second. And this is from the EIA. But what does are they counting here? The below chart is all petroleum liquids for the US, Saudi and Russia. The EIA’s “Total Liquids” includes refinery process gain.

The below chart is from the EIA’s “Total Oil Supply” page and it includes refinery process gain.

Total liquid production in June 2013, including refinery process gain, was 12,017,000 for the US, 11,738,000 for Saudi Arabia and 11,798,000 for Russia.

The below chart is “Crude Oil, NGPL, and Other Liquids“. Basically it is the above data with refinery process gain removed.

Once you remove refinery process gain then Saudi is the clear winner. Total liquids less refinery process gain was 10,921,000 barrels per day, in June, for the US, 11,730,000 bp/d for Saudi Arabia and 10,798,000 bp/d for Russia. But what about Crude + Condensate, you know, the stuff they make transportation fuel form?

The below chart is Crude + Condensate. All data is from the EIA and in kb/d.

Now Russia is the clear leader with the US coming in a distant third. C+C production, in June, was 7,201,000 bp/d for the US, 9,840,000 bp/d for Saudi and  10,305,000 bp/d for Russia.

Now a few words about refinery process gain. In June there was 2,408,000 barrels per day of refinery process gain, of that 1,097,000 bp/d, or 45.56% was in the US. Our refineries must be the best in producing gain. Of course about half of all crude oil refined was imported and the US counts process gain on imported oil as liquids produced in the US.

The below chart is Refinery Process Gain in kb/d.

Refinery process gain, in June 2013, was 1,096,000 bp/d for the US, 8,000 for Saudi Arabia and 26,000 bp/d for Russia.

So who is the world’s leading petroleum producer? I will leave that for you to decide.

Edit: This probably means nothing but the Russian energy web site CDU TEK has just posted a huge one day decline in Russian crude oil production. This site posts daily updates on all Russian energy production. The drop yesterday was 188 tons or about 1.37 million bp/d. The production reported yesterday was 1,247.3 tons or just over 9 million bp/d.

Of the major producers only one showed any major decline, Russneft was down 12.2 tons. This means that the decline was mostly small producers. Small producers daily production is not reported by the site.

Now I have seen daily declines before but nothing even close to this number. Sudden daily declines has been used in the past, I suppose, to correct imbalances in previously reported numbers. Previous huge daily declines would only last a day or two. So I will be watching tomorrow to see what they report.

Peak Oil Barrel

13 Comments on "Is the US the World’s Largest Oil Producer?"

shortonoil on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 1:27 pm 



The First Law says that “energy can be neither created, or destroyed”. Apparently, the EIA doesn’t believe that this applies to them. This is what happens when politics represses science for the benefit of a few.

BillT on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 1:35 pm 



Reality does not seem to exist in some circles. Nor does the FACT of natural laws. Denial is rampant though.

bobinget on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 1:41 pm 



It’s obviously cheaper, in SO many ways, to deliver domestic crude to refiners then imports from Saudi Arabia or Russia. The US still imports 8 M B p/d.

from last Wednesday’s EIA report.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged about 8.4 million barrels per day last week, up by 438 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the last four weeks, crude oil imports averaged just under 8.0 million barrels per day, 6.5 percent below the same four- week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 559 thousand barrels per day. Distillate fuel imports averaged 85 thousand barrels per day last week.

shortonoil on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 2:02 pm 



“Denial is rampant though.”

It is either denial, or just plain, old fashion, unmitigated STUPIDITY. Economists don’t factor in “stupidity” because it has no substitute.

rockman on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 2:11 pm 



There are all kinds of metrics a country might brag about. If one cooks the numbers right maybe the US exceeds Russia and the Saudis in total “oil” production. Of course Russia can brag that they receive about $230 BILLION from other economies they sell oil to and the KSA is selling about $340 BILLIONS of oil to other economies. And current the US economy is sending about $260 BILLION per year to foreign economies for its oil imports.

So as far as having bragging rights who would you rather be:

A) The country with the highest “oil” production and sending $260 BILLION per year to other countries for oil
B) The country with the second highest oil production receiving $340 BILLION per year by selling oil to other countries
C) The country with the third highest oil production receiving $230 BILLION per year by selling oil to other countries

And here’s a bonus option:

D) The country spending $620 BILLION per year (3X what it was spending just 10 years ago) for all the oil it’s consuming.

Some folks really do have to struggle to come up with something to brag about when it comes to the US oil situation, eh?

clapton on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 2:18 pm 



The US is still a net oil importer, while Russia and Saudi Arabia are the top two oil exporters. That hasn’t changed.

With gas, Russia is the top gas exporter, Saudi doesn’t export gas, and the US is still a marginal net gas importer.

The US will become a net gas exporter, but its oil story is different given the still big disparity between oil consumption and production, which was not there with gas.

Meanwhile Russia will stay the biggest gas exporter.

eugeni on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 2:34 pm 



In my opinion “they” (governments, corporations…) are perfectly aware of peak oil and it’s consequences. It’s just that if you want BAU you cannot say that, you just/must/need to change your forecast over a period of 20 or 30 years while the economy go down making billions in the process and having an awesome life.
Someone else will fix it.

wendy on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 2:41 pm 



thanks, Rockman !

J-Gav on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 4:29 pm 



Good points, Rockman. With our hyper-competitive mentality, I guess it’s to be expected though that many people don’t get the idea that the issue of energy security is not a pissing contest.

Mike999 on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 5:03 pm 



Next, they’ll be calling Solar and Wind “Oil”.

LT on Tue, 8th Oct 2013 5:38 pm 



1. I agree with Eugeni.

2. “Is the US the World’s Largest Oil Producer?” If the answer is “yes”, then what?

How does that help the average American?

Will the cost of living, health care, college tuition, unemployment decrease?

BillT on Wed, 9th Oct 2013 2:40 am 



Easy to see who is in or invested in the oil industry in the comments above.

Rockman, maybe it is time we shut down the wells, and close the sands and shale and leave some of the earth here for our grand kids and theirs? I personally hope oil quickly goes to $500+ per barrel and the whole system shuts down to necessities. There is no GOOD way to burn hydrocarbons. Nor is there any GOOD way to use nuclear. And as for the billions who will die off … that is gong to happen anyway if we keep BAU.

Anvil on Wed, 9th Oct 2013 10:18 am 



Let them be the worlds largest energy producers until they completely destroy there entire eco system and everything living in it.