Natural Gas

Highlights



July Natural Gas Monthly, containing data for May 2026

• In May 2026, dry natural gas production increased year over year for the 14th straight month. Preliminary dry natural gas production in May 2026 was 3,418 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 110.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). Production was 3.5% (3.7 Bcf/d) higher in May 2026 than in May 2025 (106.5 Bcf/d). Daily dry natural gas production was the highest for the month of May since 1973, the earliest year in this dataset. Gross withdrawals also increased from May 2025:
• Gross withdrawals: 4,154 Bcf for the month, or 134.0 Bcf/d
• A 3.2% increase compared with May 2025 (129.8 Bcf/d)
• Highest daily rate for the month of May since 1980, the earliest year in this dataset
• Estimated natural gas consumption in May 2026 was 2,351 Bcf, or 75.8 Bcf/d
• A 1.9% increase compared with May 2025 (74.5 Bcf/d)
• Highest daily rate for the month of May since 2001, the earliest year in this dataset
• The year-over-year average daily rate of dry natural gas consumption in May 2026 remained steady for residential deliveries and decreased in two of the other three consuming sectors. Natural gas deliveries by consuming sector in May 2026 were:
• Residential deliveries: 188 Bcf for the month, or 6.1 Bcf/d
• Residential deliveries remained steady compared with May 2025 (6.1 Bcf/d)
• Commercial deliveries: 188 Bcf for the month, or 6.1 Bcf/d
• A 1.6% decrease compared with May 2025 (6.2 Bcf/d)
• Second-highest daily rate of commercial deliveries, despite this decrease, for the month of May since 2002
• Industrial deliveries: 697 Bcf for the month, or 22.5 Bcf/d
• A 0.9% increase compared with May 2025 (22.3 Bcf/d)
• Highest daily rate of industrial deliveries for the month of May since 2001, the earliest year in this dataset.
• Electric power deliveries: 1,004 Bcf for the month, or 32.4 Bcf/d
• A 3.3% increase compared with May 2025 (31.4 Bcf/d)
• Second-highest rate of natural gas electric power deliveries for the month of May since 2001, the earliest year in this dataset
• Net natural gas exports (exports minus imports) were 593 Bcf, or 19.1 Bcf/d, in May 2026. This net export daily volume was the highest for the month of May since we began tracking net trade in 1973. The United States exported 3.6 times more natural gas than it imported in May 2026 as natural gas imports decreased while exports increased year over year:
• Total natural gas imports: 224 Bcf for the month, or 7.2 Bcf/d
• A 7.1% decrease compared with May 2025 (7.8 Bcf/d)
• Total natural gas exports: 817 Bcf for the month, or 26.4 Bcf/d
• An 11.0% increase compared with May 2025 (23.7 Bcf/d)
• Highest daily rate of natural gas exports for the month of May since we began tracking them in 1973
• Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports: The daily rate of LNG exports in May 2026 was 15.6% higher than the daily rate in May 2025, the highest rate for the month of May since we began tracking LNG exports in 1997. In May 2026, the United States exported 16.2 Bcf/d of LNG to 34 countries.