State of the Union -- American Energy Edition

Tue, February 04, 2020

With President Trump set to deliver the State of the Union today, one truth has become crystal clear: The United States remains an energy powerhouse, and is a world leader not only in oil and gas production, but also in reducing emissions.

Here is the tremendous impact of oil and natural gas development in the U.S., by the numbers: 

  • #1 Oil Producer: The Permian Basin in West Texas became the world’s top producing oil field, surpassing Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar oilfield in 2019. The United States is also the world’s largest oil producing nation. 
  • #1 Natural Gas Producer: Since 2012, the United States has been the world’s largest natural gas producer. In October 2019, total U.S. dry natural gas production reached 2.958 trillion cubic feet, breaking another U.S. production record. 
  • #1 in GHG Reductions: Last year, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) calculated the increased use of natural gas over coal for electricity generation led to a reduction of more than 2.8 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions between 2005 and 2018, equivalent to taking 595 million cars off the road for a year. In recent years, no country has reduced emissions more than the United States.
  • #1 in Total Pipeline Mileage: The United States has the largest network of pipelines in the world, with over 2.4 million miles of natural gas and liquids pipelines stretching across every state.
  • #3 LNG Exporter: The United States is currently the third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. This feat is even more amazing when you consider that just five years ago, U.S. LNG exports were effectively zero.
  • 3 Million Barrels Per Day of Exports: In November 2019, U.S. crude oil exports reached 3.023 million barrels per day, or about a 26% increase from the previous November, according to the EIA. In November 2018, U.S. crude oil exports were 2.400 million barrels per day. In September 2019, America exported 89,000 barrels a day more than it imported. The U.S. had not been a net energy exporter of crude and petroleum products since government data and records began in 1949.