Production of dry natural gas in the United States continued to soar in July, reaching a record high of 2.32 Tcf (74.8 Bcf/d), the largest number since the Energy Information Administration (EIA) began reporting dry gas production data, the agency said.

“Dry natural gas production has increased year-over-year for each month since March 2013,” EIA said in its latest Natural Gas Monthly report. “Dry production has not decreased year-over-year for any month since February 2013.”

Through the first seven months of 2015, dry gas production was 15.72 Tcf, compared with 14.63 Tcf in the same period last year and 13.96 Tcf in the first seven months of 2013.

Consumption of natural gas is hardly slowing down, either. Consumption in July reached 2.08 Tcf, up 10.3% compared with 1.89 Tcf in July 2014 and the most in any July since 2001. It was the sixth consecutive month with a record-high level of consumption.

But, for the fifth consecutive month, year-over-year total consumption of natural gas decreased in three of the four consuming sectors, with the exception being electric power deliveries, EIA said.

Electric power deliveries in July were 1.05 Tcf (33.7 Bcf/d), the second-highest for any July on record and a 23.9% increase from 27.2 Bcf/d in July 2014.

But deliveries to residential consumers were 108 Bcf, (3.5 Bcf/d) in July, the second lowest for the month on record and down 4.4% from 3.6 Bcf/d in July 2014. Commercial deliveries were 134 Bcf, (4.3 Bcf/d), a 2.9% decrease from 4.5 Bcf/d in July 2014 and industrial deliveries were 591 Bcf (19.1 Bcf/d), down 2.0% from 19.5 Bcf/d in July 2014.

Total U.S. natural gas production was 2.77 Tcf in July, up 5.7% compared with 2.62 Tcf in July 2014. Alaska reported 221.34 Bcf (up from 195.17 Bcf in July 2014), New Mexico reported 109.60 Bcf (up from 108.42 Bcf in July 2014); Oklahoma, 214.91 Bcf (up from 197.22 Bcf); Texas, 768.83 Bcf (up from 742.69 Bcf); and Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico, 121.99 Bcf (up from 109.89 Bcf).

Other states reported declines: Louisiana, 158.71 Bcf (down from 167.32 Bcf), and Wyoming, 167.14 Bcf (down from 168.53 Bcf).

EIA this summer for the first time included in the monthly natural gas production survey state-level data from 10 states, including some shale-rich names previously grouped into its “other states” category (see Daily GPI, June 30). Production in those 10 states in June was led by Pennsylvania, which reported 394.53 Bcf. Also formerly grouped in the Other States category were Arkansas (83.99 Bcf), California (19.19 Bcf), Colorado (139.28 Bcf), Kansas (24.93 Bcf), Montana (5.06 Bcf), North Dakota (51.28 Bcf), Ohio (87.68 Bcf), Utah (36.01 Bcf) and West Virginia (114.96 Bcf). The restructured Other States category reported 53.80 Bcf.

Net imports of natural gas were 73 Bcf for the month, compared with 74 Bcf in June 2014. Total net imports through the first seven months of 2015 were 633 Bcf, compared with 679 Bcf during the same period last year and 725 Bcf in the first seven months of 2013.

The report contains extensive revisions to 2013, 2014 and year-to-date 2015 data as a result of benchmarking to data published in the Natural Gas Annual 2014, a 214-page summation of last year’s natural gas industry statistics.

According to that report, domestic dry production in 2014 totaled 25.73 Tcf, up 6.3% from the 24.21 Tcf produced in 2013. Production from shale gas wells — measured before several factors, including repressuring, venting and flaring — increased 15.3% during the same time frame, from 11.93 Tcf in 2013 to 13.75 Tcf in 2014.

The EIA said there were 514,786 producing wells at the end of 2014, up 6.1% from the 484,994 wells producing at the end of 2013.