U.S. Associated Gas Production Projected to Expand Through Mid-Century, EIA Says

U.S. associated natural gas output – a byproduct of oil production – is expected to grow through 2050, continuing and amplifying a long-term trend, according to a federal outlook.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a research note Tuesday that, in its benchmark scenario that considers only the laws and regulations adopted through mid-November 2022, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), associated natural gas would account for approximately 20% of total gas output between 2023 and 2050.

Associated natural gas had historically been a relatively small slice of the U.S. natural gas pie; it totaled just 1.3 Tcf and accounted for about 6% of domestic supply in 2010. By 2022, however, associated natural gas production had increased to 5.6 Tcf, or more than...