HOUSTON, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. crude oil exports hit record high in October 2017, following the Hurricane Harvey, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Monday.

EIA said on Monday that in October 2017, crude oil exports from the United States reached a monthly record of more than 1.7 million barrels per day.

EIA's Petroleum Supply Monthly data for October 2017 showed that the largest increases in U.S. crude oil exports were to Asia, followed by Europe.

In September and October, exports to Asia accounted for 40 percent of total U.S. exports of crude oil, averaging 636,000 barrels per day, or more than double their pre-Harvey levels.

Inputs to refineries in the Gulf Coast region began reaching pre-Harvey levels in October.

From late August through September 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused disruptions to the U.S. Gulf Coast refining sector.

Although many export facilities in the Gulf Coast reduced operations or shut down because of Harvey, export facilities returned to operation following the hurricane faster than refineries.

Exports of crude oil in August were the second lowest for 2017 at 772,000 barrels per day, but in September they reached a then-record high of 1.5 million barrels per day, most of which went to Asian markets.

Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and damaging some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretched for more than 480 kilometers.

The Houston area was hit by severe flooding, after receiving heavy rain.