With the release of crude oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, domestic crude supplies jumped by nearly 600,000 barrels per day in November, according to the American Petroleum Institute. That helped U.S. oil imports drop to an average 8.3 million barrels per day, their lowest level since February 2000. While the release of crude from the strategic reserve boosted total domestic supplies by 6.2% year-to-year, U.S. crude production declined 1.8% from November 1999.