US gas exports to surge 30%
With five US LNG export projects set to start operations and ramp up production by the end of 2027, the country’s total gas export capacity is forecast to grow nearly 30%. According to EIA data, exports are bound to rise 1.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2026 to average 17.0 Bcf/d and increase by an additional 1.5 Bcf/d) in 2027.
Petroleum dwarfs US LNG sales, though gas accelerates
Petroleum, not LNG, accounts for most of the United States’ energy trade, reaching a 31 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) in 2025, followed by gas exports with 9 quads, according to U.S. government data. Yet natural gas is the faster growing export, with sales quadrupling over the past decade.
US gas exports to grow 30% by 2027 as LNG terminals ramp up
Five US LNG projects are set to start operations and ramp up productions by the end of 2027, adding nearly 30% to the country’s current peak export capacity of 18.3 bcf/d and helping offset 10 Bcf/d of damaged Qatari export capacity, according to US government analysts.
Permian Shale stages record rise in gas production
Fracking in the Permian Basin has staged a record 11% annual rise in gas production, adding 2.7 bcf/d to reach 27.7 bcf/d, suppored by break-even prices as low as $61 per barrel in the Midland Basin, one of the Permian's largest oil and associated gas formations.
Higher US supply offsets cold weather rally, Golden Pass start-up
Elevated US gas production is offsetting the bullish price impact of unseasonably cold weather through early March, while the ramp-up of Golden Pass LNG lifted feedgas intake to about 0.25 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d).
LNG feedgas demand accelerates US pipeline completions
Rampant feedgas demand for US LNG exports is speeding up the completion of intrastate pipelines, with total capacity now reaching approximately 6.3 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), according to the EIA’s updated Natural gas Pipeline Projects Tracker. About 85%, or 5.3 Bcf/d, of the additional capacity is designed to move shale gas from the Haynesville and Permian formations to the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
Soaring US LNG exports reshape domestic gas prices
US LNG exporters are selling cargoes abroad at prices roughly twice the Henry Hub benchmark, allowing export demand to set a higher clearing price in the domestic power market. Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows the average LNG export sale price was $7.87 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) in 2025 versus $3.66/Mcf for Henry Hub.
Surge in LNG supply to lower prices, drive demand in Asia
Asia Pacific’s natural gas demand is forecast to rise 4% this year, as a surge in new LNG supply from Qatar and the US is expected to lower prices. A landmark 40 bcm, or 7% increase in global LNG may well make price-sensitive buyers in China re-emerge, the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts.
Strong US gas storage build-out provides flexibility for LNG exports
Midstream operators in the US have announced fresh investment in gas storage capacity to provide flexibility as the LNG build-out progresses into 2026. Enbrige just took FID on new storage facilities in Texas and Louisiana while Energy Transfer started to build a cavern storage at Bethel.
US ships 34 cargoes this week
A total of 34 cargoes departed from US LNG terminals this week, to more than in the prior week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Feedstock supply to export terminals averaged 13.6 bcm/d of natural gas, with most shipments from US Gulf Coast terminals bound for destinations in Europe and Asia. Analysts note that US LNG exports remain “robust” as seasonal heating demand begins to rise.
