Rebounding industrial activity – and energy needed to fuel it – along with continued strong demand for U.S. exports could drive natural gas consumption through 2022, according to analysts who presented during a webinar (replay available) hosted Tuesday by Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI) and Independent Commodity Intelligence Services (ICIS).

An accelerating U.S. economy and manufacturing activity needed to support it this year could generate year/year industrial demand growth in excess of 6% in 2020. That would mark the second-highest annual growth rate of this century, said NGI’s Patrick Rau, director of Strategy and Research.

Demand Going ‘Gangbusters This Year’

The U.S. economy advanced at a 6.9% annual rate in the fourth quarter, according to federal data,...