The United States saw its crude oil production hit 11.3 million barrels per day in August and is now the world’s top producer, with the bigger-than-expected gain attributed to efficiencies in pipe, rail and truck transportation, according to a new report. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said it had assumed that pipeline capacity constraints in the Permian region would dampen production growth. However, “efficiencies in pipeline utilization and increased trucking and rail transport” allowed production growth to continue at a higher-than-expected rate, the agency said in a a report on Thursday. Production rose from 10.9 million in July — August was the first time output exceeded 11 […]