HOUSTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Recent growth in U.S. crude oil production has been primarily light, sweet crude oil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Monday.

According to EIA, light, sweet crude oil accounted for more than half of total domestic crude oil production in 2017. EIA also projected that this share will grow to 60 percent by 2020 and 70 percent by 2050.

Light, sweet crude oil is defined as having an American Petroleum Institute Gravity (API gravity) of 35 or higher and sulfur content of 0.3 percent or less.

EIA also projected that more than 80 percent of U.S. crude oil production from 2017 through 2050 will occur in the Gulf Coast and Midwest regions. Most of the growth in light, sweet crude oil production is projected in the Gulf Coast, increasing from 3.1 million barrels per day in 2017 to 5.3 million barrels per day in 2050.

The Permian Basin has developed into one of the more active drilling regions in the United States because of its large geographic size, spanning 53 million acres across western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, and favorable geology, said the organization.