Natural gas production and consumption in the United States reached new record volumes in 2019, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The agency said that the US produced nearly 34 Tcf of dry natural gas last year and consumed 31 Tcf, both values were records.
EIA said the widespread implementation of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques had boosted US gas output. These techniques allow producers to economically produce more natural gas from shale formations. US dry natural gas output has exceeded domestic demand on an annual basis in each year since 2017, EIA noted.
The increasing production has also boosted exports of natural gas. In 2017, the US exported more natural gas than imports for the first time since 1957. In 2019, natural gas exports stood at a record of nearly 5 Tcf, mostly by pipeline to Mexico and Canada or shipped LNG to other overseas markets.
The power sector is the largest natural gas consumer in the US, contributing to 36% of domestic dry natural gas demand, followed by the industrial sector (33%) and the residential, commercial, and transportation sectors (31% combined).
