Gross withdrawals of natural gas increased 1.1% (0.72 Bcf/d) in the Lower 48 states during September, according to the latest government figures. All areas except for the federal offshore Gulf of Mexico (GOM) produced more to make for the seventh monthly gain in a row, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Lower 48 withdrawals achieved a record high of 70.4 Bcf/d in September, up 6.9% from September 2010. Overall, U.S. withdrawals climbed 3.5% (2.66 Bcf/d) in September from August to 79.13 Bcf/d and were up nearly 6% from the year-ago period, according to EIA’s Monthly Natural Gas Production Report.

Wyoming posted the largest gain at 9.2% (0.55 Bcf/d) as production resumed after maintenance on a gas plant. In contrast, the GOM offshore dropped 13.5% (minus 0.65 Bcf/d), which was largely a result of Tropical Storm Lee.

Offshore withdrawals also have suffered from the moratorium on drilling there that followed the blowout of BP plc’s Macondo well (see Daily GPI, Oct. 13, 2010).

Louisiana posted a gain of 1.8% (0.16 Bcf/d); New Mexico climbed 0.3% (0.01 Bcf/d); Oklahoma climbed 1.5% (0.08 Bcf/d); Texas grew production by 1.4% (0.31 Bcf/d). Alaska posted a gain of 28.6% (1.94 Bcf/d).

Gross withdrawals of gas are not the same as marketed production, which is calculated by subtracting gas used for repressuring, quantities vented and flared and non-hydrocarbon gases removed in treating or processing operations from gross withdrawals.

Shale plays — both dry gas and liquids-rich gas — can be credited for the continuing increases in gas withdrawals.

While dry gas-directed rig counts have been declining, equipment and workers are migrating to oil and liquids-rich plays and are more than making up for the dry gas declines.

©Copyright 2011Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.