For the second consecutive month, U.S. dry natural gas production in August was the highest for any month since the Energy Information Administration (EIA) began reporting gas production data, reaching 2.37 Tcf (76.5 Bcf/d), the agency said.

It was a 6.9% increase compared with 71.6 Bcf/d in August 2014, EIA said in its latest Natural Gas Monthly report, and breaks the 2.32 Tcf (74.8 Bcf/d) record set just a month earlier (see Daily GPI, Oct. 1). Dry natural gas production has increased year-over-year every month since March 2013, EIA said.

Through the first eight months of 2015, dry gas production was 18.11 Tcf, compared with 16.85 Tcf in the same period last year and 16.03 Tcf in the first eight months of 2013.

Consumption of dry natural gas was at the highest level of any August on record, reaching 2.07 Tcf (66.8 Bcf/d), a 6.8% increase from 1.94 Tcf (4.3 Bcf/d) in August 2014, according to the report.

For the sixth 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 August were 1.03 Tcf (33.1 Bcf/d), the highest for any August on record and a 14.1% increase from 29.0 Bcf/d in August 2014.

But deliveries to residential consumers were 104 Bcf, (3.4 Bcf/d) in August, the lowest for any month on record dating back to 1973 and down 1.0% from July 2014. Commercial deliveries were 138 Bcf, (4.5 Bcf/d), a 0.7% decrease from July 2014 and industrial deliveries were 598 Bcf (19.3 Bcf/d), down 1.5% from July 2014.

Total U.S. natural gas production was 2.82 Tcf in August, compared with 2.63 Tcf in August 2014. Alaska reported 204.01 Bcf (up from 190.34 Bcf in July 2014), Louisiana, 177.18 (up from 165.66 Bcf); Oklahoma, 213.90 Bcf (up from 199.33 Bcf); New Mexico, 111.85 Bcf (up from 109.96 Bcf); Texas, 792.16 Bcf (up from 748.88 Bcf); Wyoming, 166.21 Bcf (up from 164.71 Bcf); and Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico, 124.71 Bcf (up from 110.90 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 August was led by Pennsylvania, which reported 407.10 Bcf. Also formerly grouped in the Other States category were Arkansas (84.20 Bcf), California (19.48 Bcf), Colorado (143.29 Bcf), Kansas (24.99 Bcf), Montana (4.78 Bcf), North Dakota (50.54 Bcf), Ohio (88.24 Bcf), Utah (32.77 Bcf) and West Virginia (115.90 Bcf). The diminished Other States category reported 55.87 Bcf.

Total domestic crude oil and lease condensate production in August was 9.32 million b/d, led by 3.42 million b/d out of Texas, EIA said.

Net imports of natural gas were 68 Bcf for the month, compared with 81 Bcf in August 2014. Total net imports through the first eight months of 2015 were 702 Bcf, compared with 770 Bcf during the same period last year and 831 Bcf in the first eight months of 2013.