U.S. Set to Break Natural Gas Production Records

U.S. natural gas production is on track to reach its highest level ever this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

What’s going on: “We forecast U.S. marketed natural gas production will average 122.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 118.5 Bcf/d set in 2025.”

• In the first six months of 2026, average natural gas production was 121.3 Bcf/d, 4% (4.6 Bcf/d) higher than during the same period in 2025.

Where it’s happening: Most of the production growth is coming from the Permian region of Texas and New Mexico and the Haynesville area of Texas and Louisiana.

• In the Permian—where the EIA forecasts natural gas production will average 29.2 Bcf/d in 2026, up 6% from last year—a rising gas-to-oil ratio is helping drive the increase.
• In the Haynesville region, production—driven in part by the Henry Hub natural gas benchmark price—rose 1.1 Bcf/d, or 7%, in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
• The EIA forecasts Haynesville production will rise 9% this year.

The big picture: The U.S. was the world’s largest natural gas producer from 2009 through 2024, the last year for which the EIA has worldwide natural gas production data.

• This month, an ExxonMobil executive predicted that by 2030, U.S. liquefied natural gas supply will account for approximately 30% of the global total (Reuters, subscription).