U.S. crude oil production climbed to a record 13.49 million barrels a day in May, the Energy Information Administration said in its latest monthly report. The increase of about 24,000 barrels a day from April marks the second consecutive monthly high, achieved even as benchmark crude prices languish at four-year lows. Output gains were led by the federal offshore Gulf of Mexico, which rose to roughly 1.85 million barrels a day, the strongest since December. Texas, the nation’s largest producing state, edged up to 5.752 million barrels a day, its highest level since November 2024. Production was largely flat in New Mexico and Colorado and fell in North Dakota, underscoring a shift toward coastal and offshore growth. On the consumption side, U.S. deliveries of crude and petroleum products—an indicator of demand—averaged 20.323 million barrels a day in May. While that is 2.3% lower than a year earlier, it exceeded the EIA’s short-term outlook and was the highest since January. Gasoline demand remained weak at 9.06 million barrels a day, the lowest for any May since 2020, but jet-fuel and diesel usage showed relative strength. Swelling supplies outpaced demand. Total petroleum inventories, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, expanded by nearly 30 million barrels in May to 1.644 billion barrels. The figures underscore persistent oversupply concerns that have weighed on crude prices despite continued calls for higher output from U.S. policymakers.