Key drivers for EIA's short‐term US crude oil production outlook

Overview of the crude oil production forecast
The growth in U.S. crude oil production over the past several years has come largely from onshore
basins in which exploration and production (E&P) companies are most active (Figure 1). Currently, the
most important basins for production growth are:
The Williston Basin in North Dakota and Montana, which includes the Bakken Formation
The Western Gulf Basin in south Texas, which includes the Eagle Ford Formation
The Permian Basin in West Texas and southeast New Mexico, which includes the Spraberry and
Wolfcamp formations 1
Figure 1. Key onshore crude oil production basins
Note: Counties with at least one producing well from 2008 to present are shaded. Basins are represented with dashed outlines.
The seven model regions are indentified with leading numbers in legend.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration analysis of data from DrillingInfo.
1 The Denver Basin in Colorado and Wyoming and the Anadarko and Arkoma basins in north Texas, Oklahoma, and
Arkansas, while currently producing much less than the other three oil basins, are prospects for significant
production growth.
U.S. Energy Information Administration | STEO Supplement: U.S. Crude Oil Production Outlook 2