Natural Gas

Highlights



March 2019

• In March 2019, for the 23rd consecutive month, dry natural gas production increased year to year for the month. The preliminary level for dry natural gas production in March 2019 was 2,771 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 89.4 Bcf/d. This level was 9.2 Bcf/d (11.5%) higher than the March 2018 level of 80.2 Bcf/d. The average daily rate of dry natural gas production for March was the highest for any month since EIA began tracking monthly dry natural gas production in 1973.
• The estimated natural gas consumption level in March 2019 was 2,882 Bcf, or 93.0 Bcf/d. This level was 3.5 Bcf/d (3.9%) higher than the 89.5 Bcf/d consumed in March 2018. Natural gas consumption for March reached the highest level for the month since 2001, when EIA began using the current definitions for consuming sectors.
• Year-over-year total consumption of dry natural gas in March 2019 increased in all four consuming sectors. Deliveries of natural gas by consuming sector in March 2019 were:
  
  • Residential deliveries: 686 Bcf, or 22.1 Bcf/d, which was up 4.6% compared with 21.2 Bcf/d in March 2018. Residential deliveries were the highest for the month since 2014.
  • Commercial deliveries: 423 Bcf, or 13.6 Bcf/d, which was up 2.2% compared with 13.4 Bcf/d in March 2018. Commercial deliveries were the highest for the month since EIA began tracking monthly commercial deliveries in 1973.
  • Industrial deliveries: 741 Bcf, or 23.9 Bcf/d, which was up 1.9% compared with 23.5 Bcf/d in March 2018. Industrial deliveries were the highest for the month since EIA began using the current definitions for consuming sectors in 2001.
  • Electric power deliveries: 792 Bcf, or 25.5 Bcf/d, which was up 4.9% compared with 24.4 Bcf/d in March 2018. Electric power deliveries were the highest for the month since EIA began using the current definitions for consuming sectors in 2001.
• Net natural gas imports (imports minus exports) were -119 Bcf, or -3.8 Bcf/d, in March 2019, making the United States a net exporter. Total imports were 8.2 Bcf/d, a decrease of 7.7% compared with 8.8 Bcf/d in March 2018. Total exports were 12.0 Bcf/d, an increase of 27.4% compared with 9.4 Bcf/d in March 2018. Natural gas exports were the highest for the month since EIA began tracking monthly exports in 1973. The increase in exports continues to be driven by liquefied natural gas (LNG). LNG exports in March 2019 were 42.4% higher than in March 2018. In March 2019, the United States exported 4.2 Bcf/d of LNG to 20 countries. LNG exports were the highest for any month since EIA began tracking them in 1997.
• EIA has revised pipeline exports to Mexico for July 2018 through February 2019. Last month, EIA revised this data series upward, but we later determined that we had overstated these revisions because of a miscalculation on the part of a respondent to the Office of Fossil Energy’s Form FE-746R, “Natural Gas Imports and Exports.” These updates are reflected in Table 5 of this month's NGM.