- US crude oil production averaged a record 13.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025, per the EIA
- Output ran roughly 40% ahead of Russia (10.2 million bpd) and Saudi Arabia (9.7 million bpd) combined comparisons
- Permian Basin output rose 4% to 6.6 million bpd, accounting for 48% of the US total
- WTI averaged $65 a barrel in 2025, down from $77 in 2024
- US crude oil exports hit a record 5.6 million bpd in April 2026, up 21% on the previous record set in December 2023
- The EIA forecasts production near 13.7 million bpd in 2026 and above 14 million bpd in 2027
US crude oil production averaged a record 13.6 million bpd in 2025, and the volume is now the main variable shaping Gulf Coast storage and export terminal utilisation heading into 2026. The US has held the top production spot globally since 2018, and last year’s total broke the previous record of 13.2 million bpd set in 2024.
Russia’s crude and condensate output held near 10.2 million bpd in 2025, largely unchanged as Ukrainian strikes on export infrastructure and voluntary OPEC+ cuts capped growth. Saudi Arabia climbed to roughly 9.7 million bpd as OPEC+ unwound its own cuts, but neither producer closed meaningfully on the US total.
Record US crude oil production widens the gap over Russia and Saudi Arabia
The gap between the US and its nearest rivals grew last year rather than narrowed. Saudi Aramco’s stated production capacity remains well below the US total, and Russian output faces a structural ceiling from sanctions-driven equipment constraints, not just voluntary cuts. That combination gives US operators a wider runway before any producer realistically challenges the top spot.
US crude oil production and the Permian’s storage footprint
The Permian Basin drove most of the 2025 increase, with output rising 4% to 6.6 million bpd, roughly 48% of total US crude oil production. That growth happened despite a soft price year, WTI averaged $65 a barrel in 2025 against $77 in 2024, which points to drilling efficiency gains rather than a price-driven expansion.
Sustained Permian growth at this pace keeps pressure on the pipeline and tank capacity that carries crude from the Midland basin to the coast. BridgeTex is one of the routes absorbing that volume increase without reported bottlenecks through 2025.
Storage hubs closer to the wellhead face the same pressure from the other direction. The Gibson Wink Terminal sits directly on that Permian gathering network and has scaled with basin output rather than constraining it.
Export terminals absorb the surplus
US petroleum exports hit a record in April 2026, up 15% month-on-month, as the Strait of Hormuz crisis pushed international buyers toward American barrels. Crude oil exports alone averaged 5.6 million bpd that month. For operators tracking the pricing side of this volume story, OGSN’s crude oil price tracker runs alongside the production data.
The EIA’s July 9 Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasts US crude oil production holding near 13.7 million bpd in 2026 before climbing above 14 million bpd in 2027, according to the EIA’s Today in Energy release. If that forecast holds, Gulf Coast terminals face two more years of incremental throughput growth on top of an already record base.
What record US crude oil production means for storage operators
Three things follow from the numbers. Working tank capacity at Gulf Coast hubs remains the practical ceiling on how fast export growth can continue, regardless of upstream output. Operators with spare capacity or expansion optionality are positioned to capture rate increases as shippers compete for slot availability. And the widening gap between US output and its nearest rivals means storage and export infrastructure, not wellhead production, is becoming the tighter constraint on further growth.
OGSN’s guide to oil storage terminals covers how tank capacity, contract structures, and terminal economics interact with a production surge of this size.
None of this changes quickly. Basin-level efficiency gains and terminal expansion decisions both run on multi-year timelines, so the current spread between US output and the rest of the field is likely to hold through 2026 and into 2027.
Why does record US crude oil production matter for storage terminals?
How much crude oil did the US produce in 2025?
US crude oil production, including lease condensate, averaged a record high, extending the country’s run as the world’s top producer since 2018.
How does US crude oil production compare with Russia and Saudi Arabia?
US output ran well ahead of both countries, a gap driven mainly by continued Permian Basin growth against largely flat Russian production.
Why does record US crude oil production matter for storage terminals?
Higher output means more crude has to sit in tank capacity before pipeline transport or export, keeping sustained demand on Gulf Coast terminal infrastructure.
What share of US crude oil production comes from the Permian Basin?
The Permian accounts for roughly half of total US output and remains the main driver of year-on-year production growth.
Is US crude oil production expected to keep rising?
EIA forecasts point to continued growth in the coming years, driven by drilling efficiency gains in key shale basins rather than higher prices.