WASHINGTON, D.C. / RankWire.AI / – U.S. marketed natural gas production is on course to reach a record average of 122.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2026. The U.S. Energy Information Administration put the previous annual record at 118.5 Bcf/d in 2025. Production averaged 121.3 Bcf/d during the first half of 2026. That was 4%, or 4.6 Bcf/d, above the same period last year.
Production growth has centered on the Permian region in Texas and New Mexico and the Haynesville region in Louisiana and Texas. Permian natural gas production is forecast to average 29.2 Bcf/d this year, up 6% from 2025. Much of that supply comes as associated gas produced alongside crude oil. West Texas Intermediate crude averaged $84 a barrel through July, compared with $65 during 2025.
Permian gas output has also increased as the region’s gas-to-oil ratio continues to rise. The ratio measures the volume of natural gas produced relative to crude oil. Haynesville production rose by 1.1 Bcf/d, or 7%, during the first half compared with a year earlier. Full-year Haynesville output is forecast to increase 9%, equal to about 1.3 Bcf/d.
Permian and Haynesville drive gains
Natural gas prices remain an important part of the production outlook, particularly for gas-focused Haynesville operators. The EIA forecasts the Henry Hub spot price will average $3.44 per million British thermal units in 2026. Its third-quarter forecast stands at $2.87 per MMBtu. Strong production and lower LNG feedgas demand have also lifted inventories, with end-October storage forecast at a record 3,985 billion cubic feet.
The storage forecast stands 5% above the five-year average and is 19 Bcf higher than the previous monthly outlook. U.S. dry natural gas production is forecast to average 111.19 Bcf/d in 2026. That measure excludes some volumes included in marketed production. Dry gas output is forecast at 116.04 Bcf/d in 2027, while total U.S. natural gas consumption averages 92.03 Bcf/d this year.
Exports rise as storage stays elevated
U.S. liquefied natural gas exports are forecast to average 17.4 Bcf/d in 2026, up from 15.1 Bcf/d in 2025. The forecast puts LNG exports at 18.6 Bcf/d in 2027. Pipeline exports are expected to average 9.6 Bcf/d this year, compared with 9.5 Bcf/d last year. Third-quarter LNG exports are projected at 16.5 Bcf/d as maintenance reduces feedgas demand at some Gulf Coast facilities.
The United States was the world’s largest natural gas producer from 2009 through 2024, the latest year with comparable global data. The August outlook reinforces that position with another annual production record forecast for 2026. The latest projection reflects higher output from the country’s two main growth regions. Together, expanding Permian and Haynesville supplies are lifting U.S. marketed natural gas production beyond the record established in 2025.