Oil companies are pumping more crude off the U.S. coast in the Gulf of Mexico, a surprising trend that shows the resilience of the nation’s energy industry. Despite the worst price downturn in a generation, so much oil is starting to pour forth from offshore fields near Louisiana and Texas that it is partially offsetting declining output from shale regions on shore and propping up total American oil output. The U.S. is currently pumping about 8.7 million barrels a day, 480,000 less than at the end of last year, according to the Energy Information Administration, as low prices spur companies to shut down new exploration and some existing shale-oil wells begin to peter out. Production is forecast to drop further to 8.5 million barrels a day later this year. But well over 500,000 barrels a day […]