U.S. natural gas production has recovered more vigorously than oil since the height of the pandemic and is on track to exceed pre-pandemic growth forecasts through 2024, according to researchers at Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Center for Energy Studies.

gas production

The center’s executive director, David Dismukes, and associate research professor, Gregory Upton, described a transformed landscape for gas in the 2022 edition of the Gulf Coast Energy Outlook (GCEO).

Following a pandemic-induced 25% drop in U.S. oil production between November 2019 and May 2020, oil and gas activity is on the rebound, the authors said.

However, while U.S. crude oil production in August was still 10.7% below August 2019 levels, natural gas output from March to August of this year has consistently...