No, gas prices are not high because the US ‘shut down’ oil production
~Associated Press
March 15, 2022
Misleading graphics shared on Facebook are falsely claiming that
gas prices in the United States are “skyrocketing” because President Joe Biden “shut down” U.S. oil production. This is flatly untrue.
The U.S. produced roughly the same amount of oil in 2021 as in 2020, despite what this dodgy Facebook meme wants you to believe. Average U.S. oil production is actually up slightly this month compared to the recent past.
Oil and gas drilling has
increased under Biden, despite White House policies that seek to balance reliance on fossil fuels with more environmentally friendly energy sources.
Here are the facts:
CLAIM: Gas prices are skyrocketing because oil production has been “shut down” in the United States.
THE FACTS: Oil production has not been “shut down” in the U.S., and gas prices are rising for several reasons, including higher demand after the easing of pandemic restrictions, multiple experts told the AP. But as prices at the pump
hit a record high on Tuesday, social media users shared a graphic made on
Gasbuddy.com, which tracks gas prices nationally, to falsely claim the increases are the result of a shutdown in U.S. oil production by President Joe Biden.
First, there has not been a shutdown of oil production. The U.S. was producing 11.185 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2021, compared with an average of 11.283 million barrels per day in 2020, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The latest data shows that for the week of March 4, 2022, the U.S. is producing 11.6 million barrels per day.
More at link:
The U.S. produced roughly the same amount of oil in 2021 as in 2020, despite what a dodgy Facebook meme wants you to believe. Average U.S. oil production is actually up slightly this month compared to the recent past.
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