The World’s 15 Biggest Oil Producers

Unrest in the Middle East has put investors on high alert as crude oil prices move seemingly with every development in the region.

In order to understand the effect of those events on both US and global oil markets, a key figure to watch is the amount of crude oil produced daily in each country. With data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), a division of the Department of Energy, CNBC.com took a look at the countries that produce the most crude oil on a daily basis. Production is defined as extraction from the Earth’s crust, prior to the refining process.

The numbers that follow are the most recent available from the EIA, dating from November 2010, unless otherwise noted. As a result, the numbers represent daily production levels of countries under normal circumstances prior to the recent events in the Middle East.

Interestingly, Libya ranks as only the 17th largest oil producer in the world and imported 32,000 barrels of crude per day to the United States in December 2010, representing an average of approximately 0.37% of daily US crude imports that month.

So, which countries produce the most crude oil? Click ahead for the top 15.

By Paul ToscanoPosted 3 Mar 2011

Crude production: 2.14 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 2.45%
Daily crude exports to the US: 35,000*
Proven reserves: 6.7 billion barrels

Pictured: Kristin oil platform in North Sea, Norway

*Export daily average in October 2010. From July-August 2010, daily exports ranged from 10,000 barrels to 31,000 barrels per day.

Crude production: 2.16 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 2.47%
Daily crude exports to the US: 262,000 barrels
Proven reserves: 12.2 billion barrels

Pictured: Pipes carry oil at the southern complex refinery in Hassi Messaoud, Algeria.

Crude production: 2.35 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 2.8%
Daily crude exports to the US: 825,000 barrels
Proven reserves: 99.4 billion barrels

Pictured: View of an oil rig at Maracaibo Lake, located in the border state of Zulia, in western Caracas on October 27, 2010.

Crude production: 2.39 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 2.81%
Daily crude exports to the US: 336,000 barrels
Proven reserves: 115 billion barrels

Pictured: The Iraqi oil tanker 'Dijla' is anchored at Basra harbour, 550 kms (340 miles) south of Baghdad, 17 December 2007.

Crude production: 2.5 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 2.93%
Daily crude exports to the US: 125,000 barrels
Proven reserves: 101.5 billion barrels

Pictured: A Kuwait Oil Company drilling rig operates on the northern border between Iraq and Kuwait.

Crude production: 2.51 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 2.95%
Daily crude exports to the US: 1.02 million barrels
Proven reserves: 37.2 billion barrels

Pictured: The FPSO Bonga (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading) facility 120 kms off the coast of Nigeria, south of Lago.

Crude production: 2.75 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 3.2%
Daily crude exports to the US: 271,000 barrels
Proven reserves: 12.8 billion barrels

Pictured: General view of the bridge Rio/Niteroi in Rio de Janeiro taken on April 30, 2009.

Crude production: 2.81 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 3.3%
Daily crude exports to the US: 10,000 barrels*
Proven reserves: 97.8 billion barrels

Pictured: A pipeline in UAE carrying crude oil to a Dharan refinery and oil storage tanks before being loaded onto oil tankers.

*Daily average in September 2010.

Crude production: 2.88 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 3.39%
Daily crude exports to the US: 1.22 million barrels
Proven reserves: 10.4 billion barrels

Pictured: Two workers walk aboard the Pemex (Petroleos Mexicanos) Ku-S oil processing center, part of the Ku-Maloob Zaap complex, in the Gulf of Mexico, off Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche state, Mexico.

Crude production: 3.7 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 4.3%
Daily crude exports to the US: 2.06 million barrels
Proven reserves: 175.2 billion barrels

Pictured: An oil rig in Big Valley, Alberta, Canada.

Crude production: 4.2 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 4.9%
Daily crude exports to the US: 0
Proven reserves: 137.6 billion barrels

Pictured: Oil tankers pass through Haj Omran, on the Iranian border.

Crude production: 4.26 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 5.0%
Daily crude exports to the US: 8,000 barrels*
Proven reserves: 20.4 billion barrels

Pictured: Gas drilling rig operated by Chinese consortium in area near Japan's exclusive economic zone, East China Sea.

*This export number represents the daily average for December 2010. In August, September and November, are no recorded daily export numbers from China to the US.

Crude production: 8.85 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 10.4%
Total crude imports: 8.63 million barrels per day
Proven reserves: 19.2 billion barrels

Pictured: Pump-jack silhouetted against the sky, Van, Texas.

Crude production: 9.91 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 11.6%
Daily crude exports to the US: 158,000 barrels
Proven reserves: 60 billion barrels

Pictured: Oil rig, Tyumen oil field, Siberia, Russia.

Crude production: 10.3 million barrels per day
Share of world production: 12.1%
Daily crude exports to the US: 1.08 million barrels
Proven reserves: 259.9 billion barrels

Photo: Oil tanker at a fuel station in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.