Australia currently produces a relatively small amount of crude oil by global standards, and its output has been declining over the past two decades.

Quick Scoop

  • Australia’s crude oil (plus condensate) production is around 250,000–280,000 barrels per day in recent years.
  • Data for 2024 shows crude oil production at about 77 thousand barrels per day (that is 76,817 barrels/day), which is part of a broader “total liquids” figure that includes condensate and other light liquids.
  • Monthly data into late 2025 shows production fluctuating around 224,000–255,000 barrels per day, confirming that Australia is a mid‑tier, declining producer rather than a major oil power.
  • Output peaked around 2000 at more than 590–780 thousand barrels per day (depending on whether you look at pure crude versus all liquids), and has fallen since as fields mature and investment has dropped.

Why it’s trending now

  • Energy security and fuel prices have been hot topics in Australia, especially with global oil market volatility and geopolitical tensions since the early 2020s.
  • Because local crude production is modest and declining, Australia relies heavily on imports and refined product trade, which makes discussions about “how much crude oil does Australia produce” a common starting point in news pieces and forums about fuel prices and national energy security.

Mini view: then vs now

[3][5] [4][3] [1] [9][5]
Period Approx. crude oil / liquids output What it means
Around 2000 peak Crude oil production around 594 thousand barrels/day; some series show total liquids close to 780 thousand barrels/day at monthly peaks.Australia was a significantly larger producer, benefiting from then‑maturing offshore fields.
2023–2024 About 85 thousand barrels/day of crude in 2023, falling to about 77 thousand barrels/day in 2024.Clear downward trend as fields deplete.
2024–2025 “total liquids” Around 257–271 thousand barrels/day of crude + condensate and other liquids in 2024–H1 2025.Most production is now condensate and light liquids associated with gas/LNG projects.
Late 2025 monthly data About 224–255 thousand barrels/day reported for October–November 2025.Recent figures confirm a mid‑200k barrels/day range.

A quick “story” of Australia’s crude

  • In the late 1990s and early 2000s, offshore basins like the Northern Carnarvon were in their prime, and Australia’s crude output was comparatively strong.
  • Over time those fields aged, new large oil discoveries did not keep pace, and policy and investment shifted more toward gas and LNG, so liquids came increasingly from condensate tied to gas projects rather than classic crude oil fields.
  • By the mid‑2020s, the country’s crude oil production had shrunk to roughly one‑third of its peak levels, while domestic fuel demand and global market volatility made import dependence a recurring discussion point in media and online forums.

Forum‑style takeaway

If you’re in a forum thread asking “how much crude oil does Australia produce,” the short, up‑to‑date answer is:
Around a quarter of a million barrels per day of total liquids, with only tens of thousands of barrels per day of true crude, and it’s been trending down for years.

Note: Figures differ slightly depending on whether a source counts strictly crude oil or includes condensate and other liquids; that’s why you see both ~77 thousand barrels/day (crude only) and ~250–270 thousand barrels/day (total liquids) cited.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.