According to statistics released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas production in the United States increased by 5% in 2015 to a record high of 79 bcf/d (2.23 bcm/d).
Production from five states was responsible for most of this growth: it grew by an average of 1.5 bcf/d (+42 mcm/d) in Pennsylvania, by 1.4 bcf/d (+40 mcm/d) in Ohio, by 0.8 bcf/d (+23 mcm/d) in West Virginia, by 0.5 bcf/d (+ 14 mcm/d in Oklahoma) and by 0.4 bcf/d (+ 11mcm/d) in North Dakota, while it declined by 0.5 bcf/d (-14 mcm/d) in other states. These five states accounted for 35% of total US gas production in 2015. Gas production in the Gulf of Mexico increased by 6%, reaching 3.6 bcf/d (101 mcm/d), after five consecutive years of decline.
The EIA expects gas production to slow down in 2016 (+0.9%), as a result of low gas prices and declining rig activity. Output should rise by 2.2% in 2017, as as projected natural gas prices rise, industrial demand grows, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports increase.