US crude production in November rose to 11.9 million bpd: EIA

NEW YORK: US crude oil production rose to a new high of 11.9 million barrels per day in November, up 345,000 bpd from the previous month, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a monthly report on Thursday.

The increase came as output in Texas rose 115,000 bpd and Gulf of Mexico offshore production rose by 188,000 bpd, outstripping a slight decline in North Dakota, where production fell by 11,000 bpd.

The United States has become the world's largest oil producer due to gains in output from shale formations. The EIA previously reported that production from seven major shale formations was estimated at 7.8 million bpd in November.

U.S. crude production was up 17.8 percent from a year earlier, the agency said.

U.S. total oil demand in November was up 3 percent, or 615,000 bpd, versus last year, buoyed by strong demand for gasoline and diesel, EIA data showed.

U.S. gasoline demand was up 1.1 percent, or 100,000 bpd, versus last year, EIA data showed. Gasoline demand was down 0.8 percent in October.

Gasoline demand is closely watched by traders because the U.S. accounts for roughly 10 percent of global gasoline demand.

U.S. distillate demand was up 2.3 percent, or 96,000 bpd, in November, EIA data showed. In October, distillate demand rose by 10.4 percent year-over-year.

Meanwhile, gross natural gas production in the lower 48 U.S. states rose to an all-time high of 97.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in November, up from the prior record of 96.8 bcfd in October, according to EIA's 914 production report.

In Texas, the nation's largest gas producer, output increased to a record high of 25.3 bcfd in November, up 0.2 percent from October. That compares with output of 22.7 bcfd in November 2017.

In Pennsylvania, the second biggest gas producing state, production rose to a record 18.2 bcfd in November, up 1.7 percent from October. That compares with output of 15.8 bcfd in November 2017.