U.S. gas production rose in January

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Dry natural gas production in the U.S. climbed to 94.9 Bcf/d, up 2.3% from a year earlier, according to a recent report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The increase marked the 10th consecutive month that production had climbed.

Total gas consumption in January was 3592 Bcf, or 115.9 Bcf/d, up 9.7 Bcf/d or 9.1% from a year earlier. All four consuming sectors – residential, commercial, industrial and power – increased gas consumption from one year earlier, the EIA reported.

Residential consumption of gas was 967 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 31.2 Bcf/d. That level of consumption was a 10.3% increase from one year earlier. Commercial consumption of gas was 555 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 17.9 Bcf/d, an increase of 12.8% compared with January 2021.

Industrial consumption of gas reached 809 Bcf in January, or a daily rate of 26.1 Bcf/d. That marked a 3.3% increase compared with January 2021 (25.3 Bcf/d). Industrial deliveries were the highest for any month since the EIA began tracking industrial deliveries in 2001.

Electric power consumption totaled 979 Bcf in January, a daily rate of 31.6 Bcf/d. That marked a 12.3% increase from January 2021. Electric power deliveries were the highest for the month since the EIA began using the current methodology for electric power deliveries in 2001, the EIA reported.

Net natural gas exporters (exports minus imports) reached 314 Bcf, or 10.1 Bcf/d in January. LNG exports in January rose 16.1% from a year earlier. The average daily rate of LNG exports were the highest in any month since 1997, when the EIA began collecting LNG data. U.S. exports sent 11.4 Bcf/d of LNG to 29 countries in January.

Both imports and exports of natural gas increased in January. Total imports were 296 Bcf for the month, or 9.5 Bcf/d. Imports rose 4.2% from a year earlier. Total exports reached 610 Bcf in January, or 19.7 Bcf/d, up 8.2% from a year earlier. Natural gas exports were the highest for the month since the EIA began tracking them in 1973.