(EnergyAsia, December 5 2012, Wednesday) — Thanks to a surge in exploitation of unconventional reserves, US produced nearly 6.5 million b/d of crude oil and condensate in September for its highest monthly level since early 1998, said the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The last time US crude and condensate production reached 6.5 million b/d was in January 1998.

Between September 2011 and September 2012, US production surged by more than 900,000 b/d as a result of production from oil-bearing rocks with very low permeability through the use of horizontal drilling combined with hydraulic fracturing or fracking for short.

The bulk of the production increases came from the states of Texas and North Dakota, with Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah contributing the rest, said the EIA.

Between the two Septembers, Texas oil production rose by more than 500,000 b/d while North Dakota’s increased by more than 250,000 b/d.

The bulk of the increase in Texan production came largely from the Eagle Ford formation in the south and the Permian Basin in the west. North Dakota’s increase came from the Bakken formation in the Williston Basin.

Source: US Energy Information Administration (EIA)