The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said that the preliminary estimate of U.S. natural gas average daily net imports—imports minus exports—was just over 5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd) in 2011, which was the lowest level since 1992.
Net import declines are due to both lower imports and higher exports; U.S. net imports of natural gas peaked in August 2007 at 10 Bcfd, and have fallen markedly since.
Imports
The United States imports natural gas via pipelines from Canada and Mexico, and from tanker deliveries to liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Some key points include:
Exports
U.S. exports of natural gas are up over the past decade. Some key factors underpinning the growth in exports are:
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LNG World News Staff, March 16, 2012; Image: EIA