Table of Contents
Natural Gas Monthly Contacts
‹ SEE CURRENT NATURAL GAS MONTHLY Report
Natural Gas Monthly
Data for December 2022 | Release Date: February 28, 2023 | Next Release: March 31, 2023 | full report
Previous Issues
Natural Gas Monthly Contacts
Highlights
December 2022
- In December 2022, dry natural gas production increased year over year for the month for the 21st consecutive month. The preliminary level for dry natural gas production in December 2022 was 3,068 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 99.0 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). This level was 1.0% (1.0 Bcf/d) higher than December 2021 (98.0 Bcf/d) and the highest level for the month since 1973, when we began tracking dry natural gas production. Gross withdrawals also increased from December 2021:
- Gross withdrawals: 3,717 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 119.9 Bcf/d
• A 1.0% increase compared with December 2021 (118.7 Bcf/d) • Highest daily rate of gross withdrawals for the month since 1980, the earliest year in this data set
- Estimated natural gas consumption in December 2022 was 3,385 Bcf, or 109.2 Bcf/d. This level was 12.6% higher than December 2021 (97.0 Bcf/d) and the highest for the month since we began using the current methodology for natural gas consumption in 2001.
- The year-over-year average daily rate of consumption of dry natural gas in December 2022 increased in three of the four consuming sectors. Deliveries of natural gas by consuming sector in December 2022 were as follows:
- Residential deliveries: 843 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 27.2 Bcf/d
• A 26.0% increase compared with December 2021 (21.6 Bcf/d) • Highest residential deliveries for the month since 2013
- Residential deliveries: 843 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 27.2 Bcf/d
- Commercial deliveries: 496 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 16.0 Bcf/d
• A 23.4% increase compared with December 2021 (13.0 Bcf/d) • Highest commercial deliveries for the month since 1973, the earliest year in this data set
- Industrial deliveries: 754 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 24.3 Bcf/d
• A 1.7% decrease compared with December 2021 (24.7 Bcf/d) • Lowest industrial deliveries for the month since 2016
- Electric power deliveries: 993 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 32.0 Bcf/d • A 12.1% increase compared with December 2021 (28.6 Bcf/d)
• Highest electric power deliveries for the month since we began using the current methodology for electric power deliveries in 2001
- Net natural gas imports (imports minus exports) were -304 Bcf, or -9.8 Bcf/d, in December 2022, making the United States a net natural gas exporter. The United States exported two times more natural gas than it imported in December 2022. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in December 2022 were 1.4% lower than the daily rate of LNG exported in December 2021. December 2022 was the second consecutive month that has shown a year-over-year decrease in LNG exports. In December 2022, the United States exported 11.0 Bcf/d of LNG to 28 countries. Natural gas imports increased year over year in December 2022, while natural gas exports decreased:
- Total imports: 293 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 9.5 Bcf/d • A 15.8% increase compared with December 2021 (8.2 Bcf/d)
• Highest daily rate of natural gas imports for the month since 2011
- Total exports: 597 Bcf for the month, or 19.3 Bcf/d • A 3.9% decrease compared with December 2021 (20.0 Bcf/d)
• Second-highest natural gas exports for the month since we began tracking them in 1973
Annual Summary
This edition of the Natural Gas Monthly includes annual totals for 2022 for the first time:
- Dry natural gas production increased 3.7% for the year, from 94.6 Bcf/d in 2021 to 98.1 Bcf/d in 2022. Total dry natural gas production was the highest on record for any year since EIA began tracking it in 1930.
- Estimated natural gas consumption increased 5.4%, from 84.0 Bcf/d in 2021 to 88.5 Bcf/d in 2022. Total natural gas consumption was the highest on record for any year since EIA began tracking it in 1949.
- Total imports of natural gas increased 7.7%, from 7.7 Bcf/d in 2021 to 8.3 Bcf/d in 2022. Annual total natural gas imports were the highest since 2017.
- Total exports of natural gas increased 3.6%, from 18.2 Bcf/d in 2021 to 18.9 Bcf/d in 2022. LNG exports increased 8.6%, from 9.8 Bcf/d in 2021 to 10.6 Bcf/d in 2022. These annual export totals were the highest on record for any year since EIA began tracking natural gas exports in 1973.