US Wells Pulled More Natural Gas in July Than in Any Month on Record
US natural gas production reached a record high in July 2026, the US Energy Information Administration reported in its latest Natural Gas Monthly, released Sept. 30, 2026. Gross withdrawals, the full volume of gas extracted at the wellhead, reached 137 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), the highest monthly figure in the agency's records.
Gross withdrawals is the widest of the production counts in the report. The narrower ones subtract gas that is pumped back underground, gas that is vented or flared, and the liquids separated out at processing plants. July set all-time records on those counts as well.
The increase came mainly from new wells in Texas and New Mexico. Gross withdrawals in the two states rose by a combined 1.7 Bcf/d from June to July, and Louisiana, Oklahoma and North Dakota each added more than 0.1 Bcf/d. EIA puts the Texas and New Mexico gains in the Permian region, parts of western Texas and eastern New Mexico, where it says more gas has been coming up alongside the oil.
New pipelines are easing long-standing bottlenecks in moving gas out of Texas, the agency said. It named the Hugh Brinson Pipeline, which began interstate flows ahead of schedule in the summer of 2026, and said the added capacity moves more Permian gas to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals on the Gulf Coast.
July's figure was the first new monthly record for gross withdrawals in 2026, after five record months in 2025. EIA attributes that earlier run to higher natural gas prices, continued gains in how much new wells produce, and better operating efficiency.
