Williams, which owns one of largest gas pipeline systems in the United States, continues to see increasing demand, including robust flows of natural gas to Mexico, despite the persistent coronavirus pandemic and shaky economy.

The Tulsa-based pipeline operator, which operates more than 30,000 miles of pipelines led by the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, aka Transco, said Lower 48 gas demand in 2Q2020 rose 2% from a year earlier. The only segment that did not show advancing demand was the industrial load; it was down less than 1% but has resumed growth early in the current quarter, executives said.

Williams CEO Alan Armstrong said the demand data demonstrate the durability of gas, given the historically fierce headwinds imposed by the virus. The U.S. Commerce Department estimated...