The latest Energy Information Administration weekly data shows that U.S. crude oil exports have averaged above — usually well above — 3 million barrels per day for 12 consecutive weeks.
Why it matters: The weekly data that runs through the end of January is a sign that 3 million-plus is the new normal for U.S. crude exports.
The growth has been enabled by booming shale production that produces light oil that many refineries are not optimized to run.
That has created a spillover effect as companies are building new pipeline and port infrastructure to handle the rise.
The intrigue: Politically, it raises the stakes of the White House race. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have both called for ending U.S. oil exports as part of their climate platforms.
Worth noting: The weekly data is noisy, but on a multiweek basis it is consistent with more complete monthly data, which arrives after a lag.
Exports averaged over 3 million barrels per day in November, the most recent period in the monthly tallies, as well as October and September.
Flashback: Legislation to remove heavy export restrictions was enacted at the end of 2015.