EIA: Natural Gas Monthly - February 2019 (data for December 2018) - eng (pdf)

December 2018

• In December 2018, for the 20th consecutive month, dry natural gas production increased year to year for the month. The preliminary level for dry natural gas production in December 2018 was 2,746 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 88.6 Bcf/d. This level was 9.1 Bcf/d (11.5%) higher than the December 2017 level of 79.5 Bcf/d. The average daily rate of dry natural gas production for December was the highest for any month since EIA began tracking monthly dry natural gas production in 1973.
• The estimated natural gas consumption level in December 2018 was 2,970 Bcf, or 95.8 Bcf/d. This level was 3.1% (3.1 Bcf/d) lower than the 3,066 Bcf consumed in December 2017. Natural gas consumption for December was the second-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 December 2018 decreased in all four consuming sectors. Deliveries of natural gas by consuming sector in December 2018 were:
  
  • Residential deliveries: 769 Bcf, or 24.8 Bcf/d, which was down 6.4% compared with 26.5 Bcf/d in December 2017. Residential deliveries were the lowest for the month since 2015.
  • Commercial deliveries: 464 Bcf, or 15.0 Bcf/d, which was down 4.7% compared with 15.7 Bcf/d in December 2017.
  • Industrial deliveries: 753 Bcf, or 24.3 Bcf/d, which was down 1.1% compared with 24.5 Bcf/d in December 2017. Industrial deliveries were the second highest for the month since EIA began using the current definitions for consuming sectors in 2001.
  • Electric power deliveries: 744 Bcf, or 24.0 Bcf/d, which was down 3.1% compared with 24.8 Bcf/d in December 2017.
• Net natural gas imports (imports minus exports) were
  -108 Bcf, or -3.5 Bcf/d, in December 2018, making the United States a net exporter. Total imports were 8.2 Bcf/d, a decrease of 8.3% compared with 9.0 Bcf/d in December 2017. Total exports were 11.7 Bcf/d, an increase of 21.1% compared with 9.6 Bcf/d in December 2017. For the second consecutive month, natural gas exports were the highest for any 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 December 2018 were 48.2% higher than in December 2017. In December 2018, the United States exported 4.0 Bcf/d of LNG to 18 countries.