The United States nearly became a net exporter of crude oil last week for the first time since World War II, with shipments soaring to near record highs to meet demand from Asian and European buyers scrambling to replace supplies from West Asia reduced by the Iran war.Asian and European refineries that rely on these supplies have purchased replacement cargoes from wherever they can, significantly increasing demand for U.S. oil. However, analysts say the United States is rapidly approaching its export capacity.U.S. government data on Wednesday showed net crude oil imports, or the difference between imports and exports, narrowed to 66,000 barrels per day last week, the lowest weekly data since 2001, while exports climbed to 5.2 million barrels per day, the highest level in seven months. Data show that the last time the United States became a net exporter of crude oil was in 1943.Greece and other countries have snapped up U.S. crude oil for the first time in recent months. About 2.4 million barrels, or about 47%, of U.S. export cargoes were shipped to Europe last week, according to tracking service Kpler. About 1.49 million barrels per day (about 37%) are shipped to Asia, up from 30% a year ago.This is a Reuters report
