Audio By Carbonatix
The United States will overtake Saudi Arabia and Russia next year to become the world’s largest oil producer.
Surging output from its shale fields boosted output by 846,000 barrels per day in just the three months to November last year.
The country is on course to jump from third largest producer to global leader.
Making the prediction in a report on Tuesday, the International Energy Agency added: ‘All the indicators that suggest continued fast growth in the US are in perfect alignment.’
US producers have revolutionised their industry over the past decade, plundering shale rock and speeding up drilling techniques to become less dependent on foreign imports.
The IEA warned the increase in output would ramp up pressure on industry cartel Opec – of which the US is not a member.
Recent predictions suggest US output will grow by 8m barrels per day by 2025, the strongest growth in the history of crude markets.
Latest Stories
-
MOBO Awards founder, Kanya King dies at 57 after cancer battle
23 minutes -
‘I was forced into acting’ – Nkem Owoh
31 minutes -
Spain’s visitor numbers hit new highs as tourists avoid Middle East
40 minutes -
Central African Republic to accept third-country deportees from US, sources say
50 minutes -
South Africa’s Ramaphosa vows crackdown on groups behind xenophobic attacks
59 minutes -
Congo says number of confirmed Ebola cases rises to 515
1 hour -
UN blames online disinformation for protests outside Libya offices
1 hour -
Israel hits Iran with new strikes despite Trump admonition
1 hour -
Philippines verifying reports of at least five deaths after magnitude 7.8 quake
1 hour -
WHO launches $518m plan to curb Africa Ebola outbreak
2 hours -
French national gets 20 years in Mali over alleged destabilisation plot
2 hours -
More than 1,000 Nigerians seek return from South Africa after attacks, Nigeria says
2 hours -
Trump to meet AI leaders to discuss US investment in their companies
4 hours -
Dozens die of thirst in Sahara desert after truck breakdown
4 hours -
Ethiopian Airlines set to decide on regional jet order in next three months
4 hours