Natural gas production reaches record level

A recently released Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysis found that natural gas production reached record levels last year.

The EIA’s Monthly Crude Oil, Lease Condensate, and Natural Gas Production Report revealed natural gas production grew by 10 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2018, which represents an 11 percent increase over 2017.

The study determined the growth was the largest annual increase in production on record, reaching a record high for the second consecutive year. Natural gas production measured as gross withdrawals averaged 101.3 Bcf/d in 2018, the highest volume on record.

The report found that as natural gas production increased, the volume of natural gas exports increased for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 9.9 Bcf/d. Additionally,

total natural gas exports grew 14 percent in 2018 and LNG exports grew by 53 percent to 3.0 Bcf/d. Both pipeline and LNG exports reached record monthly highs in December 2018 of 7.7 Bcf/d and 4.0 Bcf/d, respectively.

With regard to geographic production, the report also found that the Appalachian region remained the largest natural gas-producing region in the United States. Appalachian natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica/Point Pleasant shales of Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania continued to grow, with gross withdrawals increasing from 24.2 Bcf/d in 2017 to 28.5 Bcf/d in 2018.