EIA: US exported a record volume of natural gas 1H23

In 2017, the US became a net exporter of natural gas (natural gas exports exceeded natural gas imports) for the first time since 1957, primarily because of increased LNG exports.

Growth in LNG exports from the Lower 48 states, which started in 2016 when Sabine Pass LNG—the first LNG export terminal in the Lower 48 states—came online, has led to increased US natural gas exports. In 1H23, US LNG exports averaged 11.6 billion ft³/d, making the US the world’s top LNG exporting country. US LNG exports in 1H23 were up 4% compared with 2022, despite declining in May 2023 and June 2023.

US LNG imports averaged less than 0.1 billion ft³/d in 1H23. Almost all LNG imports are delivered into the New England market and can be a key marginal source of supply during periods of high demand, particularly in the winter months of December through February. Warmer-than-average temperatures in the Northeast in the first quarter of 2023 contributed to lower LNG imports compared with the same time in 2022.

US natural gas imports by pipeline, which are primarily from Canada, declined by 5% in 1H23 compared with the previous year. Imports from Canada help support seasonal fluctuations in consumption in the US and generally peak in January or February, with a smaller peak in the summer months. A mild winter, combined with wildfires in Western Canada that disrupted natural gas deliveries to the US this spring, contributed to lower natural gas imports in 1H23 compared with 1H22.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/15092023/eia-us-exported-a-record-volume-of-natural-gas-1h23/