A recent U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report showed that U.S. natural gas production increased 10 percent in 2019 over 2018 levels with Pennsylvania’s increase listed as the second-largest next to Texas.
Specifically, the report found that U.S. natural gas production measured as gross withdrawals grew by 9.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2019. Natural gas gross withdrawals – all natural gas plant liquids nonhydrocarbon gases after oil, lease condensate and water have been removed – reached a record high at 116.8 Bcf/d in November 2019.
The Appalachian region, which includes natural gas production from the Marcellus and Utica/Point Pleasant shales of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, remained the largest natural gas-producing region in the country. Within the region, Pennsylvania saw the largest increase in gross withdrawals, increasing by 2.1 Bcf/d in 2019 to reach 19.1 Bcf/d. Texas saw an increase of 3.6 BCF/d to reach a record annual production of 28.0 Bcf/d.
U.S. natural gas production when measured as marketed natural gas production and dry natural gas production also saw record highs at 99.2 Bcf/d and 92.2 Bcf/d, respectively.
The report also found that the United States continued to export more natural gas than it imported in 2019 and net natural gas exports averaged 5.2 Bcf/d. The country also exported more natural gas by pipeline than it imported for the first time since at least 1985, mainly because of increased pipeline capacity to send natural gas to Canada and Mexico.