The US has accounted for the entire net increase in oil output over the past three years – excluding Opec members and former Soviet republics – as its large shale reserves begin to reshape global energy markets.
The US increased daily production of crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons by 1.1m barrels during 2008-11. Over the same period, other countries that are not Opec members or former Soviet republics such as Russia, lost a net 200,000 barrels a day, according to a BPstatistical review – a standard industry reference – published yesterday.
The surge in US oil production and increased output by Opec members such as Saudi Arabia and Libya have added to the downward pressure on prices, which have also been held down by projections of weaker demand in Europe and China.