What EIA Reported For April 2026
EIA's June 2026 Natural Gas Monthly reports preliminary April dry natural gas production of 3,328 Bcf, or 110.9 Bcf/d. That was 3.8% above April 2025, the highest daily rate for any April, and the second-highest daily rate for any month in EIA's series beginning in 1973.
Demand was mixed by sector. Residential and commercial deliveries fell year over year, but electric-power deliveries rose 8.2% to 29.9 Bcf/d. LNG exports reached 17.9 Bcf/d, up 20.1% from April 2025.
| Metric | April 2026 Value | Change / Rank | Buyer Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. dry natural gas production | 3,328 Bcf / 110.9 Bcf/d | +3.8% year over year | EIA called this the highest April daily rate and the second-highest daily rate for any month since 1973. |
| Electric-power deliveries | 898 Bcf / 29.9 Bcf/d | +8.2% year over year | Power-sector gas demand was the strongest April reading in EIA data beginning in 2001, keeping gas-to-power risk relevant even with strong production. |
| Residential deliveries | 281 Bcf / 9.4 Bcf/d | -13.8% year over year | Weak heating-season tail demand softened residential consumption, so the demand story was not broad-based across every customer class. |
| Commercial deliveries | 241 Bcf / 8.0 Bcf/d | -8.0% year over year | Commercial deliveries were the lowest April reading since 2020, which separates building heat demand from power-sector gas burn. |
| LNG exports | 17.9 Bcf/d | +20.1% year over year | LNG exports set an April high in EIA data beginning in 1997, supporting continued attention to Gulf Coast basis and feedgas demand. |
| Net natural gas exports | 591 Bcf / 19.7 Bcf/d | Highest April in EIA trade data | The export channel matters for domestic balances, but it should not be converted into a simple delivered-rate forecast. |
Why This Is Not A One-Direction Gas Price Story
Strong dry production improves the supply side of the U.S. gas balance. It can help offset heat-driven power burn and export demand, and it gives buyers a factual counterweight when supplier narratives lean only on demand growth.
The same report also shows why buyers should avoid simple conclusions. Electric-power deliveries and LNG exports both reached strong April levels. For gas-indexed electricity buyers in PJM, ERCOT, ISO-NE, MISO, CAISO, NYISO, and SPP, that means the right question is how production, storage, export demand, and regional basis interact, not whether one national production figure settles the procurement decision.
Commercial Buyer Actions
- Separate actuals from forecasts: the Natural Gas Monthly reports April data; the STEO projects future Henry Hub, production, consumption, and LNG exports.
- Use power burn as an electricity input: high electric-sector gas deliveries can matter for marginal power prices, but capacity, congestion, delivery, and tariff language still decide the final bill.
- Watch Gulf Coast basis: LNG exports are not a direct rate forecast, but feedgas demand can influence regional price and basis conversations.
- Pair monthly actuals with weekly storage: production strength is more useful when read alongside the current storage cushion and the weekly injection path.
What Not To Infer
- Record April production does not guarantee lower delivered commercial natural gas or electricity rates.
- Record April LNG exports do not mean every buyer faces the same regional basis risk.
- National EIA data should not be converted into a supplier quote without account-level usage, utility tariff, load shape, and contract terms.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration Natural Gas Monthly, June 2026 issue with April 2026 preliminary data; EIA natural gas data browser and API; EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook natural gas report.