US Oil Output Forecast to Slide in 2026 as Drilling Slows
Pumpjacks extract oil near Monahans, Texas.
Photographer: Matthew Busch/BloombergUS oil output is now expected to fall in 2026 as prices slide, according to a government forecast, halting years of growth that turned the country into the world’s top producer.
US crude output is now expected to shrink to 13.28 million barrels a day in 2026, according to the Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook released Tuesday. The agency’s previous projection in July was for 13.37 million barrels a day, and the country is on track for the first annual drop in production since 2021.