Oil topped $50 a barrel for the first time and closed at a six-week high amid heightened optimism that a demand resurgence is in the offing.

The Energy Information Administration said domestic output of crude oil will climb to a record 9.96 million barrels a day in 2018, up from 9.9 million barrels projected last month, according to the agency’s monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook released May 9.

The year 2017 started off with a bang for American oil companies as total crude and petroleum products exports rose to a record 5.69 million barrels a day in January, government data show.

Oil fell as U.S. drilling continued to rise, undermining the potential for even an extended OPEC output-reduction deal to rebalance the market.

Oil prices are down nearly 10% over the past month, leading some to wonder if we're set for a resumption of the plunge seen between 2014 and early 2016. Executives at oil companies, however, are optimistic.

West Texas Intermediate crude traded below $50 a barrel after surging U.S. supplies wiped out gains in the three months since OPEC’s decision to cut output.

Oil slumped more than 5% to the lowest close this year after government data showed production cuts from OPEC and other producers have not been enough to reduce U.S. supplies.

Oil dropped to the lowest in more than two weeks amid estimates that U.S. crude and gasoline inventories continue to climb.

Oil futures dipped on Dec. 29 after a surprise build in U.S. crude inventories reversed an advance in prices that had boosted the benchmarks to their highest levels since July 2015.

Oil extended its advance as industry data showed U.S. crude stockpiles declined last week.