New Mexico increases hold as nation’s number three oil producer

Thanks to massive oil production in the Permian Basin, New Mexico has strengthened its hold as the number three oil-producing state in March, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The state’s production totaled 19,371,000 barrels of oil. Oklahoma’s production was 16,800,000 barrels of oil during the same time and could not overcome the record production see in New Mexico.

Last year, New Mexico had a record 172 million barrels of oil produced which was double the amount of production for the state in 2011. In 2015, New Mexico’s oil production was 147 million barrels of oil.

Oklahoma’s oil production was more than 16 million in January but dropped to just under 15 million in February before rebounding in March.

Texas remained number one with 129,203,000 barrels of oil of production during the same time period. North Dakota was ranked second highest with 35,665,000 barrels of oil.

Alaska was fifth in production followed by California, Colorado, Wyoming, Louisiana and Utah. Kansas was 11th.