U.S. crude oil production hit a record 12 million bpd in the week ending February 15, rising by 100,000 bpd from 11.9 million bpd in the previous week, the weekly EIA petroleum data showed as American production is growing faster than forecasts suggested just a few months ago. In November 2018, the EIA estimated that U.S. crude oil production would exceed the 12-million-bpd mark in the second quarter of 2019. Earlier forecasts had showed that the 12-million-bpd threshold would be surpassed only in the fourth quarter of this year. U.S. crude oil exports also hit an all-time high in the week to February 15—at 3.607 million bpd , beating the previous record of 3.203 million bpd set in the last week of November 2018, EIA data showed. In its February Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) published last week, the EIA estimates that U.S. crude oil production averaged 12.0 million bpd […]