US natural gas production hit a record high in July, EIA says

US natural gas production reached an all-time high in July 2026, the US Energy Information Administration said on 2 October, citing its latest Natural Gas Monthly. The agency said the increase came mainly from the Permian Basin.

The figures

Gross withdrawals, the total volume of gas taken out at the wellhead, reached a record 137 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in July. It was the first monthly record for that measure in 2026, after five record months in 2025. July also set all-time highs for marketed production and dry gas production, the EIA said.

Most of the growth came from new wells in Texas and New Mexico, where gross withdrawals rose by a combined 1.7 Bcf/d, or 3.2%, from June to July. Louisiana, Oklahoma and North Dakota each added more than 0.1 Bcf/d.

The EIA linked the Permian’s output to rising gas-to-oil ratios in the region and to new pipelines that are easing transport bottlenecks in Texas. It named the Hugh Brinson Pipeline, which began interstate flows ahead of schedule this summer. New pipelines add capacity to move Permian gas to liquefied natural gas export terminals on the Gulf Coast.

Storage

The EIA’s weekly storage report, released on 1 October, put working gas in underground storage in the Lower 48 states at 3,415 billion cubic feet (Bcf) as of 25 September. That was a net increase of 64 Bcf on the week, 79 Bcf above the five-year average of 3,336 Bcf and 138 Bcf below the level a year earlier. The EIA said stocks were within the five-year historical range.

Why it matters for traders

Production and storage are the two supply figures the gas market gets from the EIA: monthly production data (July’s figures came out on 2 October) and weekly storage. Our guide on what moves oil prices explains how official supply data feeds into energy markets more broadly.

What comes next

The EIA’s next weekly storage report is scheduled for 8 October 2026.