New government figures predict the amount of crude oil produced in the United States will soar to a near-historic high in the coming years due largely to the controversial technique of fracking. According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. oil output will hit 9.5 million barrels per day by 2016, just under the record of 9.6 million set in 1970. Fracking, which involves blasting chemicals into shale rock, is also fueling a rise in natural-gas production.