U.S. natural gas gross withdrawals, the total volume of gas extracted at the wellhead, reached an all-time high of 137 billion cubic feet per day in July 2026, the EIA said in its latest Natural Gas Monthly. It was the first new monthly record for gross withdrawals this year, following five record months set in 2025.
New wells in Texas and New Mexico
The July record was driven primarily by new wells coming online in Texas and New Mexico. Gross withdrawals in the two states rose a combined 1.7 Bcf/d, or 3.2%, from June to July 2026. The Permian Basin, which spans western Texas and eastern New Mexico, is one of the most prolific oil and gas regions in the world and has been producing more gas for every barrel of oil as its gas-to-oil ratio rises. Gross withdrawals also rose in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and North Dakota in July 2026, each by more than 0.1 Bcf/d.
Pipeline capacity catches up
New pipeline infrastructure is easing long-standing gas transport bottlenecks in Texas. The Hugh Brinson Pipeline began interstate flows ahead of schedule this summer, one of the new pipelines increasing takeaway capacity out of the Permian Basin to liquefied natural gas export terminals on the Gulf Coast.
Natural gas production grew through 2025 on higher prices, continued gains in new-well productivity, and improved operational efficiency, the EIA said. July 2026 also set all-time records for marketed production and dry gas production, two of the three production measures the agency tracks.
We reported last month that Permian production nearly quadrupled since 2015 as wells stretched longer, EIA says.
