WASHINGTON, D.C. / RankWire.AI / – U.S. marketed natural gas production is set to average a record 122.5 billion cubic feet per day in 2026. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the previous record was 118.5 Bcf/d in 2025. Output averaged 121.3 Bcf/d during the first half of this year. That marked a 4% increase, or 4.6 Bcf/d, from the same period in 2025. The gains keep the country on track for another annual production high.
The Permian region in Texas and New Mexico accounts for a large share of the increase. Natural gas production there is forecast to average 29.2 Bcf/d this year, up 6% from 2025. Much of the region’s gas comes from wells that primarily produce crude oil. West Texas Intermediate crude averaged about $84 a barrel through July 2026. That compares with an average of about $65 a barrel during 2025.
Haynesville production has also moved higher as output expands across Louisiana and Texas. Production rose 1.1 Bcf/d, or 7%, during the first half from a year earlier. Full-year output is forecast to increase 9%, equal to about 1.3 Bcf/d. Haynesville remains one of the country’s main gas-producing regions. Its location near Gulf Coast demand centers and liquefied natural gas facilities also places much of its supply close to major markets.
Permian and Haynesville lift U.S. supply
Natural gas prices have stayed below earlier annual forecasts as production and inventories remain high. The EIA expects the Henry Hub spot price to average $3.44 per million British thermal units in 2026. Its third-quarter forecast stands at $2.87 per MMBtu. Lower LNG feedgas demand during maintenance periods has also supported storage levels. End-October inventories are forecast at a record 3,985 billion cubic feet, about 5% above the five-year average.
Dry natural gas production is forecast to average 111.19 Bcf/d in 2026. That figure excludes some volumes counted under the broader marketed production measure. Dry gas output is forecast to reach 116.04 Bcf/d in 2027. U.S. natural gas consumption is projected to average 92.03 Bcf/d this year. The production figures show that domestic supply remains well above total consumption, with exports accounting for a growing share of overall demand.
LNG exports add to record production year
U.S. liquefied natural gas exports are forecast to average 17.4 Bcf/d in 2026, up from 15.1 Bcf/d last year. LNG exports are projected to rise further to 18.6 Bcf/d in 2027. Pipeline exports are expected to average 9.6 Bcf/d this year, compared with 9.5 Bcf/d in 2025. Third-quarter LNG exports are forecast at 16.5 Bcf/d as maintenance temporarily reduces feedgas demand at some Gulf Coast export facilities.
The United States ranked as the world’s largest natural gas producer from 2009 through 2024, the latest year with comparable global data. The 2026 forecast points to another record for U.S. marketed production. Growth in the Permian and Haynesville regions remains the central driver of that increase. Higher output, strong storage levels and rising LNG exports define the current U.S. natural gas market as production moves beyond the record set in 2025.