(Bloomberg) -- The world's biggest oil producer will see a drop in output next year as a result of the dramatic collapse in prices that's already forcing drillers to cut back on capital spending.
U.S. oil output will average 12.7 million barrels a day in 2021, down from an expected 13 million barrels this year, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. That would mark the first year-on-year decline since 2016.
READ ALSO: U.S. Risks Ceding Top-Producer Status to Saudis on Output Cuts
The Energy Department's statistical arm expects monthly output figures to start falling around May this year in light of the recent price rout. The agency forecasts Brent, the global benchmark crude, will average $43.30 a barrel this year, down from earlier expectations of $61.25.
West Texas Intermediate crude closed below $35 a barrel Tuesday, well below the breakeven price for most American shale fields. The downturn comes as Saudi Arabia and Russia vie for control of the global oil market, each vowing to unleash huge volumes of cheap crude at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has obliterated energy demand.
To contact the reporter on this story: Stephen Cunningham in Washington at scunningha10@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at dmarino4@bloomberg.net, Catherine Traywick, Pratish Narayanan
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