U.S. Natural Gas Imports & Exports: 2009

This report provides an overview of U.S. international natural gas trade in 2009. Natural gas import and export data, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) data, are provided through the year 2009. In 2009, net U.S. imports of natural gas were the lowest since 1994, representing just 12 percent of total consumption. The primary underlying cause for the lower level of net imports was continued strong levels of natural gas production in the lower 48 States. Dry natural gas production increased 3.3 percent compared with 2008 and was nearly 9 percent higher than in 2007. With these recent gains in domestic production, the United States is now the largest producer of natural gas in the world. U.S. domestic consumption decreased in 2009, which in turn contributed to a reduced demand for imports. Although liquefied natural gas (LNG) gross imports increased almost 30 percent (from a 5-year low established in 2008), LNG remains a very small source of supplies for the United States, accounting for less than 2 percent of consumption.