Likely US yield as the world's largest oil producer

The United States may have regained the position of the world's largest oil producer faster than expected.

The US Energy Information Administration said the country has "probably" overtaken Russia as the world's largest producer in recent weeks. He also reported that the United States had spent Saudi Arabia producing oil at the beginning of the year.

The Energy Information Administration, which is part of the Ministry of Energy, issued a report on 12 September. The agency said its findings were based on estimates of oil production.

If these estimates are accurate, it would be the first time since 1973 that the United States has been leading oil production around the world, based on government statistics.

The energy administration and another organization, the International Energy Agency, had predicted that the United States would not pass Russia and Saudi Arabia until 2019. The agency is an international group of producers of oil.consuming nations.

An increase thanks to the fracturing

US production has increased in recent years partly because of technology, including hydraulic fracturing or "fracking".

Fracturing involves the use of chemicals, sand, water and high pressure to break deep rock formations underground. This frees up more oil and natural gas.

However, not everyone approves fracking. Opponents say that fracking causes harmful substances to enter the groundwater. They also claim that it has increased the number of earthquakes in states like Oklahoma and Texas.

The US Energy Agency estimated that in August 2018, the United States had produced an average of 10.9 million barrels One day. In comparison, Russia produced about 10.8 million barrels a day, with Saudi Arabia producing about 10.4 million barrels.

The agency predicts that the United States will continue to produce more oil than Russia and Saudi Arabia for the rest of the year and until 2019.

Oil production in the United States has increased since 2011. The oil drilling rate has slowed after oil prices began to fall in 2014. However, prices have risen again as operators have learned to produce more oil. effectively and recovered oil prices.

The US agency said its information on Russian production came mainly from the Russian Ministry of Petroleum, as well as oil companies and industrial publications. The agency said the figures on Saudi production are based on its own estimates.

The United States has dominated world oil production over the past century. However, both the Soviet Union and Saudi Arabia moved to the United States in the 1970s. Until recent years, it seemed unlikely that the United States would again become the largest producer .

Daniel Yergin wrote a book called "The Prize", a history of the oil industry. He says that the increase in US production has averted a serious oil shortage that would have pushed prices even higher.

I am Phil Dierking.

David Koenig reported this story for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the publisher.

use – v. to use (fuel, time, resources, etc.)

effective – adj. able to produce the desired results without wasting materials, time or energy

barrel – not. a round container usually made of wood with curved sides and flat ends