The United States’ natural gas imports fell for the eighth consecutive year in 2015 on the strength of the boom in domestic natural gas production.
According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. natural gas net imports dropped to 2.6 billion cubic feet per day in 2015. That continues a downward trend that started in 2007.
The reason for the drop in net imports is the fact that American production of natural gas has risen sharply in recent years and exports to Mexico and Canada have increased.
“In recent years, increasing production from shale formations in the United States has resulted in an increase in U.S. natural gas exports,” a statement from the agency read.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the United States could become a net exporter of natural gas by the middle of next year.
The administration reports that the natural gas industry plans to build the capacity to export billions of additional cubic feet per day to Canada and Mexico by 2019.
“Demand for additional export capacity from the United States to Canada and Mexico is driven by production growth in the United States and increasing demand in northern Mexico from power generators that use natural gas,” the administration stated.
