Highlights



May 2022

• In May 2022, dry natural gas production increased year over year for the month for the 14th consecutive month. The preliminary level for dry natural gas production in May 2022 was 3,005 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 96.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). This level was 3.9 Bcf/d (4.2%) higher than May 2021 (93.0 Bcf/d) and the highest level for the month since 1973, when we began tracking dry natural gas production. Gross withdrawals also increased from May 2021:
  
  • Gross withdrawals: 3,659 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 118.0 Bcf/d
    • A 4.2% increase compared with May 2021 (113.2 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 May 2022 was 2,228 Bcf, or 71.9 Bcf/d. This level was 6.4% higher than May 2021 (67.5 Bcf/d) and the highest for the month since we began using the current methodology for consumption in 2001.
• The year-over-year average daily rate of consumption of dry natural gas in May 2022 increased in three of the four consuming sectors. Deliveries of natural gas by consuming sector in May 2022 were as follows:
  
  • Residential deliveries: 201 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 6.5 Bcf/d201 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 6.5 Bcf/d
    • A 6.5% decrease compared with May 2021 (6.9 Bcf/d)
    
  • Residential deliveries were the lowest for the month since 2018.
  • Commercial deliveries: 183 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 5.9 Bcf/d
    • A 1.1% increase compared with May 2021 (5.8 Bcf/d)
    
  • Commercial deliveries were the highest for the month since 2019.
  • Industrial deliveries: 675 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 21.8 Bcf/d
    •A 3.7% increase compared with May 2021 (21.0 Bcf/d)
    
  • Industrial deliveries were the highest for the month since we began using the current methodology for industrial deliveries in 2001.
  
  • Electric power deliveries: 928 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 29.9 Bcf/d
  • A 13.7% increase compared with May 2021 (26.3 Bcf/d)
  • Electric power deliveries were the highest for the month since we began using the current methodology for electric power deliveries in 2001.

• Net natural gas imports (imports minus exports) were -382 Bcf, or -12.3 Bcf/d, in May 2022, making the United States a net natural gas exporter. The average daily rate of net imports was the lowest for any month since we began tracking imports and exports in 1973; the United States exported 2.6 times more natural gas than it imported in May 2022. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports in May 2022 were 11.4% higher than the daily rate of LNG exported in May 2021. The average daily rate of LNG exports was also the highest for the month since 1997, when we began collecting LNG data. In May 2022, the United States exported 11.3 Bcf/d of LNG to 30 countries. Natural gas imports and exports both increased year over year in May 2022:
  
  • Total imports: 233 Bcf for the month, or a daily rate of 7.5 Bcf/d
  • A 13.7% increase compared with May 2021 (6.6 Bcf/d)
  • The daily rate of natural gas imports was the highest for the month since 2017.
  
  • Total exports: 614 Bcf for the month, or 19.8 Bcf/d
  • A 6.2% increase compared with May 2021 (18.6 Bcf/d)
  • Natural gas exports were the highest for the month since we began tracking them in 1973.