Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the United States has become the world's leading producer of oil and natural gas, reaching record levels in recent years. In 2025, U.S. crude oil production reached 13.6 million barrels per day, while total liquid fuels production hit 24 million barrels per day—surpassing the combined output of Russia and Saudi Arabia. The natural gas sector also set new records, with 2026 projections at 122.5 billion cubic feet per day, up from 118.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2025. This growth is attributed in part to policy changes, including the end of a prior LNG export ban, which is expected to nearly double liquefied natural gas exports by the decade's end.
The Permian Basin, centered in Midland, Texas, has been key to this energy expansion. Since 2016, crude oil production in the basin has risen about 250%, from 1.9 million barrels per day in 2015 to a record 6.6 million barrels per day in 2025. In December 2025, the basin produced 6.7 million barrels per day, accounting for 44% of total U.S. oil production, along with 22.2 billion cubic feet per day of marketed natural gas, or over 20% of the national supply. Advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling in formations such as Wolfcamp and Spraberry have enabled access to these reserves.
The Energy Department also notes the approval of roughly 22.3 billion cubic feet per day in non-FTA LNG export authorizations since January 2025, surpassing the entire U.S. LNG export capacity when President Trump took office. Despite the growth in production and exports, U.S. natural gas and gasoline prices remain among the lowest compared to other developed nations.