2. Ethanol Production Surges to Eight-Month High, Stockpiles Also Increase Ethanol output jumped to an eight-month high and stockpiles increased to their highest level since May, according to the Energy Information Administration. Production of the biofuel rose to an average of 991,000 barrels a day in the week that ended on Dec. 4, the EIA said in a report. That’s up from 974,000 barrels a day, on average, the previous week and the highest since the seven days that ended on March 20. In the Midwest, by far the biggest producing region, output was reported at an average of 941,000 barrels a day, up from 926,000 barrels the previous week.