Oil production in the seven most productive areas in the U.S. are projected to increase in March, the U.S.' Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Monday.
The seven most prolific regions in the country for shale resources have a combined oil output of 6.65 million barrels per day (bpd) in February, according to the EIA's Drilling Productivity Report.
This amount is estimated to rise by approximately 110,000 bpd to reach 6.76 million bpd in March, according to the report.
Among the seven regions, the oil-rich Permian basin, located along western Texas and east of New Mexico, is expected to supply more than two-thirds of the total contribution.
Oil production in the Permian is forecast to rise by 75,000 bpd to reach 2.99 million bpd in March, from 2.92 million bpd in February.
The second-largest contribution is expected to come from the Eagle Ford basin located in south Texas. Oil output from the region is estimated to increase by 18,000 bpd to 1.32 million bpd in March, from 1.29 million bpd in February.
All other regions are projected to see oil production increase next month except for the Haynesville basin located along east Texas and northwest Louisiana, whose oil output is forecast unchanged.
The seven most prolific areas in the country, according to the EIA, are Bakken in North Dakota; Eagle Ford in south Texas; Permian basin along Texas and New Mexico; Marcellus along New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia; Utica in Ohio; Niobrara along Wyoming and Colorado; and Haynesville located along east Texas and northwest Louisiana.
The Permian basin is estimated to have produced close to 30 billion barrels of oil so far.
The U.S.' crude oil production rose 332,000 bpd to 10.25 million for the week ending Feb. 2, according to EIA data released last Wednesday.
The administration expects U.S. crude output to average 10.6 million bpd in 2018 and 11.2 million bpd in 2019.
By Ovunc Kutlu in New York
Anadolu Agency
ovunc.kutlu@aa.com.tr
