U.S. retail gasoline prices heading into Labor Day weekend are highest in four years

The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline on August 27, 2018, was $2.83 per gallon (gal), the highest price on the Monday before Labor Day since 2014, when it was $3.45/gal. The 2018 price is 43 cents/gal higher than the same time last year. A higher North Sea Brent crude oil price—$18 per barrel (b) higher than the price heading into Labor Day weekend last year and its highest level for this time of year since 2014—is the main driver of the increase in the gasoline price. More »

Shipments to gas stations before certain holidays affect gasoline product supplied

U.S. holiday weekends associated with increased driving, such as Labor Day and Memorial Day, often result in large swings or changes in gasoline product supplied. EIA uses product supplied as a proxy for U.S. gasoline consumption. Some of the largest weekly decreases in gasoline product supplied often occur during the weeks of these holidays, reflecting the timing of shipments to retail gasoline stations. More »

Appalachia, Permian, Haynesville drive U.S. natural gas production growth

Gross production of natural gas in the United States has generally been increasing for more than a decade and in recent months has been more than 10% higher compared with the same months in 2017. This growth has been driven by production in the Appalachian Basin in the Northeast, the Permian Basin in western Texas and New Mexico, and the Haynesville Shale in Texas and Louisiana. These three regions collectively accounted for less than 15% of total U.S. natural gas production as recently as in 2007, but now they account for nearly 50% of total production. More »

More than 30% of global maritime crude oil trade moves through the South China Sea

The South China Sea is a major trade route for crude oil, and in 2016, more than 30% of global maritime crude oil trade, or about 15 million barrels per day (b/d), passed through the South China Sea. More »

Hurricane Lane approaches Hawaii, threatens energy infrastructure

Hurricane Lane, a Category 3 hurricane, is currently on track to pass just to the south and west of Hawaii, bringing torrential rainfall and high winds to the islands. If Hurricane Lane makes landfall, it would be the first major hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii in 26 years. To help promote understanding of potential energy-related storm effects, EIA maintains an energy disruptions map that displays energy infrastructure and real-time storm information. More »

Permian region is expected to drive U.S. crude oil production growth through 2019

EIA’s August Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) forecasts that U.S. crude oil production will average 10.7 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2018 and 11.7 million b/d in 2019. If realized, both of these forecast levels would surpass the previous record of 9.6 million b/d set in 1970. This national increase is almost entirely driven by tight oil. In particular, the Permian region in western Texas and eastern New Mexico is expected to account for more than half of the growth in crude oil production through 2019. More »