US crude oil production hits record high in August
Nancy Vu
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U.S. crude oil production hit a record high in August, putting the Biden administration in a tight spot regarding its pledge to transition from fossil fuels and complicating Republican criticism that the White House has been hindering the production of energy.
The United States produced an average of 13,053 barrels of crude oil a day for the month of August, eclipsing the previous peak set in late 2019, before the pandemic struck, of roughly 13,000 barrels per day, according to new data from the Energy Information Administration. The figure released Tuesday also represents a nearly 9% increase in crude oil production since August of last year.
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The latest data from the EIA go against much of the messaging promoted by both political parties. Republicans have been going after the Biden administration’s energy policies, criticizing its recent cancellation of seven planned lease sales in Alaska’s North Slope. Most recently, the administration sparked opposition after publishing its five-year leasing plan that authorized only three offshore oil and gas drilling sales to be held in the Gulf of Mexico through 2030 — the lowest number of sales in the history of its leasing program.
However, environmentalists have also been sharply critical that the Biden administration would allow any lease sales after pledging to transition the U.S. to renewables and distance itself from fossil fuels. They’re also frustrated with other actions he’s taken in favor of drilling and constructing pipelines, such as approving the West Virginia Mountain Valley Pipeline.
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Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the administration encouraged companies to produce more oil in the short term.