U.S. Passes Russia -- Briefly -- to Become Top Oil Producer
- Annual gain of 2.1 million barrels a day fastest ever
- Russia may have regained the title on September output boost
A contractor maneuvers drilling pipe at an oil rig in Reeves County, Texas.
Photographer: Callaghan O'Hare/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. surpassed Russia in August to claim the title of world’s top oil producer, with the largest year-on-year output increase in its history.
Output rose to a record 11.346 million barrels a day, according to a monthly report issued Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Russia pumped 11.21 million in August, according to its energy ministry.