Overview

The data are taken from survey reports authorized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Information Administration (EIA) and by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The EIA is the independent statistical and analytical agency within the DOE. The FERC is an independent regulatory commission within the DOE which has jurisdiction primarily in the regulation of electric utilities and the interstate natural gas industry. Data are collected from one annual survey and five monthly surveys.

The annual report is the Form EIA-176, a mandatory survey of all companies that deliver natural gas to consumers or that transport gas across state lines.

The monthly reports include two surveys of the natural gas industry, two surveys of the electric utility industry, and a voluntary survey, Form EIA-895, completed by energy or conservation agencies in the gas producing states. The natural gas industry surveys are the Form EIA-191 filed by companies that operate underground storage facilities, and the Form EIA-857 filed by a sample of companies that deliver natural gas to consumers. The electric utility industry surveys are the Form EIA-906 filed by all generating electric utilities and the Form FERC-423 filed by fossil-fueled plants. Responses to these four monthly surveys are mandatory.

A description of the survey respondents, reporting requirements, and processing and editing of the data is given for each of the surveys.

Form EIA-176, "Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition"

   Form & Instructions

Survey Design

The original version of Form EIA-176 was approved in 1980 with a mandatory response requirement. Prior to 1980, published data were based on voluntary responses to Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior predecessor Forms BOM-6-1340-A and BOM-6-1341-A of the same title.

In 1988, the Form EIA-176 was revised to include data collection for deliveries of natural gas to commercial and industrial consumers for the account of others. A short version of Form EIA-176 was also approved in 1988. Companies engaged in purchase and delivery activities but not in transportation and storage activities may file the short form. Usually, these companies are municipals handling small volumes of gas.

In 1990, the Form EIA-176 was revised to include more detailed information for gas withdrawn from storage facilities, gas added to storage facilities, deliveries of company-owned natural gas and natural gas transported for the account of others. The revised form was approved for use beginning with report year 1990.

Upon the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval in 1993, the Form EIA-176 was again revised. All deliveries to consumers were categorized as firm or interruptible. Commercial and industrial consumers were categorized as nonutility power producers or as those excluding nonutility power producers.

Approval of the Form EIA-176 for use through 1999 was received in 1996 from OMB. With the 1996 annual reporting cycle, the Energy Information Administration changed the customer category used for reporting deliveries to consumers in the agricultural industry from commercial to industrial. Most natural gas consumed in agriculture is used to drive irrigation systems and to dry crops. Separate reports of the volumes affected are not available so the direct impact of this change is not known.

In comparing sectoral use over time, note that:

		there is an inherent shift in natural gas volumes from the commercial to industrial sectors due simply to changes in the reporting requirements. This break in series may indicate a spurious increase in industrial consumption with a corresponding decrease in the commercial sector;
		the sum of natural gas volumes consumed by the commercial and industrial sectors will not be changed by this modification in the instructions.

After being approved by the OMB in 1999, the Form EIA-176 was revised to: (1) change the filing date from April 1 following the end of the report year to March 1 following the end of the report year, (2) remove the requirement to distinguish between firm and interruptible deliveries to consumers; and (3) remove the requirement to distinguish between gas volumes delivered to commercial and industrial consumers having nonutility generation of electricity from those not generating electricity.

Data reported on this form are no longer considered proprietary. Response to the form continues to be mandatory.

Survey Universe and Response Statistics

The Form EIA-176 is required from all identified interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline companies, investor and municipally owned natural gas distributors, underground natural gas storage operators, synthetic natural gas plant operators, and field, well, or processing plant operators that deliver natural gas directly to consumers (including their own industrial facilities) and/or that transport gas to, across, or from a state border through field or gathering facilities.

Each company and its parent company or subsidiaries were required to file if they met the survey specifications. The original list totaled 1,831 questionnaire packages. To this original list, 37 names were added and 35 were deleted as a result of the survey processing. Additions were the result of comparisons of the list to other survey lists. Deletions resulted from post office returns and determinations that companies were out of business, sold, or not within the scope of the survey. After all updates, 1,793 responses were entered into the data base from approximately 1,400 companies. There were 40 nonrespondents.

Summary of Form EIA-176 Data Reporting Requirements

The EIA-176 is a multi-line schedule for reporting all supplies of natural gas and supplemental gaseous fuels and their disposition within the state indicated. Respondents file completed forms with EIA in Washington, DC. Data for the report year were due by March 1st. Extensions of the filing deadline for up to 30 days were granted to any respondent upon request.

All natural gas and supplemental gaseous fuels volumes are reported on a physical custody basis in thousand cubic feet (Mcf), and dollar values are reported to the nearest whole dollar. All volumes are reported at 14.73 pounds per square inch absolute pressure (psia) and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Routine Form EIA-176 Edit Checks

A series of manual and computerized edit checks are used to screen the Form EIA-176. The edits performed include validity, arithmetic, and analytical checks.

The incoming forms are reviewed prior to keying. This prescan determines if the respondent identification (ID) number and the company name and address are correct, if the data on the form appear complete and reasonable, and if the certifying information is complete.

Manual checks on the data are also made. Each form is prescanned to determine that data were reported on the correct lines. The flow of gas through interstate pipelines is checked at the company level to ensure that each delivery from a state is matched with a corresponding receipt in an adjoining state

After the data are keyed, computer edit procedures are performed. Edit programs verify the report year, state code, and arithmetic totals. Further tests are made to ensure that all necessary data elements are present and that the data are reasonable and internally consistent. The computerized edit system produces error listings with messages for each failed edit test. When problems occur, respondents are contacted by telephone and required to file amended forms with corrected data.

Comparison of the Form EIA-176 with Other Data Sources

Comparison of the EIA-176 data with data from similar series is another method of ensuring the validity of the data published in this report. This comparison on a company-by-company basis showed significant differences that respondents were required to reconcile.

The FPC-14, "Annual Report for Importers and Exporters of Natural Gas," was discontinued in September 1995. Data on imports and exports of natural gas, as collected by the EIA-176 survey, were checked by comparing individual responses with quarterly data reports, Natural Gas Imports and Exports, filed with the Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. These quarterly reports are required as a condition of import/export authorizations. Where discrepancies were noted, respondents were required to file corrected reports.

Similarly, data on the underground storage of natural gas were compared with submissions of Form EIA-191, "Monthly Underground Gas Storage Report." If significant differences were noted, companies were contacted to reconcile the discrepancies. During 2000, the 117 companies filing the Form EIA-191 reported total injections of 2,680 billion cubic feet and total withdrawals of 3,482 billion cubic feet. This compares to 2,684 billion cubic feet of injections and 3,498 billion cubic feet of withdrawals, as reported on the Form EIA-176.

Data on deliveries to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers were compared with data submitted on Form EIA-857, "Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to Consumers." Where discrepancies were noted, respondents were required to file corrected reports for either and sometimes both surveys. Numerous telephone calls were made to clarify any misunderstandings concerning the correct filing of both forms. Typical errors included electric utility volumes combined with industrial volumes, sale for resale volumes reported as industrial consumption, cogeneration volumes not reported on Form EIA-857, and misinterpretation of general instructions.

A discussion of the comparison of the data on deliveries to electric utilities filed on Form EIA-176 and that reported in the EIA publication, Electric Power Annual, is included under "Electric Utility Data."

Form EIA-895, "Monthly Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report"

   Form & Instructions

Survey Design

Beginning with 1980 data, natural gas production data previously obtained on an informal basis from the appropriate state agencies were collected on the Form EIA-627, "Annual Quantity and Value of Natural Gas Report." This form was designed by the EIA to collect annual natural gas production data from the appropriate state agencies under a standard data reporting system within the limits imposed by the diversity of data collection systems of the various producing states. It was also designed to avoid duplication of the efforts involved in the collection of production and value data by producing states and to avoid an unnecessary respondent burden on gas and oil well operators. In 1993, value and associated volume of marketed production by month were added to the EIA-627. In 1996, the Form EIA-627 was discontinued. The information is collected on an annual schedule on the Form EIA

In 1993, the Office of Management and Budget approved the Form EIA-627 for use in report years 1994 through 1996. In 1994, the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission decided to discontinue collection of their form, "Monthly Report of Natural Gas Production." Data collection on the Form EIA-895 began in January 1995. All gas producing states are requested to report on the Form EIA-895; a voluntary report. In 1996, an annual schedule was added to the voluntary Form EIA-895 to replace the Form EIA-627. Data are reported by state agencies. The form was designed to provide a standard reporting system, to the extent possible, for the natural gas data reported by the states. Data are not considered proprietary.

Survey Universe and Response Statistics

Form EIA-895 is mailed to energy or conservation agencies in all 33 natural gas producing states. All producing states participate voluntarily in the EIA-895 survey by filing the completed form or by responding to telephone contacts.

Reports on state production are due 20 days after the end of the report month. In most cases, the data are not available to the states until after this time period. Therefore, states are requested to send the report within 80 days after the end of the report month. The annual schedule of the Form EIA-895 is due with the December data report.

Of the 33 natural gas producing states, all participated in the voluntary EIA-895 survey by filing the completed form or by responding to telephone contacts. Data on the quantities of nonhydrocarbon gases removed in 2000 were reported by the appropriate agencies of 11 of the 32 producing states. These 11 states accounted for 46 percent of total 2000 gross withdrawals. The State of Missouri reported zero gross withdrawals.

The commercial recovery of methane from coalbeds contribute a significant amount to the production totals in a number of states. Coalbed methane seams production quantities (in million cubic feet) are included in gross withdrawals totals for the following states: Alabama (112,393), Colorado (413,290), New Mexico (583,581), and Wyoming (151,449).

Summary of Data Reporting Requirements

The Form EIA-895 is a two-page form divided into five parts. Part I requests identifying information including the name and location of the responding state agency and the name and telephone number of a contact person within the agency. Part II collects monthly data on the production of natural gas including gross withdrawals from both gas and oil wells; volumes returned to formation for repressuring, pressure maintenance, and cycling; quantities vented and flared; quantities of nonhydrocarbon gases removed; quantities of fuel used on lease; and marketed production. Part III of the form is for reporting the monthly volume and value of marketed production. Part IV of the form is the annual schedule which collects data on the number of producing gas wells, the production of natural gas including gross withdrawals from both gas and oil wells; volumes returned to formation for repressuring, pressure maintenance, and cycling; quantities vented and flared; quantities of nonhydrocarbon gases removed; quantities of fuel used on lease; marketed production; the value of marketed production; and quantity of marketed production (value based). Part V is space to be used by the respondent to explain data elements reported that may be based on definitions differing from those applied to data in previous years.

Respondents are asked to report all volumes in thousand cubic feet at the state's standard pressure base and at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. All dollar values are reported in thousands.

Routine Form EIA-895 Edit Checks

Each filing of Form EIA-895 is manually checked for reasonableness and mathematical accuracy. Information on the forms is compared to totals of monthly data reported. Volumes are converted, as necessary, to a standard 14.73 psia pressure base. Reasonableness of data is assessed by comparing reported data to the previous year's data. State agencies are contacted by telephone to correct errors. Amended filings or resubmissions are not a requirement, since participation in the survey is voluntary.

Comparison of the Form EIA-895 with Other Data Sources

Annual production data, as reported on the Form EIA-895, are compared to the sum of monthly data previously reported on the Monthly Schedule. The comparison is made in order to assure the reasonableness of the data reported on the Form EIA-895, Annual Schedule. Any significant differences are resolved by contacting the reporting state.

For discussion of the comparison of production data collected on Form EIA-895 and that collected on Form EIA-23, "Annual Survey of Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves," see the EIA report, U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Reserves.

Form EIA-191, "Underground Natural Gas Storage Report"

   Form & Instructions

Survey Design

The Form EIA-191, "Monthly Underground Natural Gas Storage Report," was revised effective January 1994. Among the changes from the form used from 1991 through 1993 is a distinction between a monthly and annual survey. Prior to 1991, data on the storage of natural gas were collected on a survey jointly implemented in 1975 by the Federal Power Commission (FPC), the Federal Energy Administration (FEA), and the Bureau of Mines (BOM) as the FPC-8/ FEA-G-318 system. The data received on both the FPC-8 and FEA-G-318 were computerized and aggregated by FPC. The form was previously revised in 1991 to include storage data by state, field, and reservoir.

At the beginning of 1979, the EIA assumed responsibility for the collection, processing, and publication of the data gathered in the survey. Form FEA-G-318 was renewed on July 1, 1979, as Form EIA-191 and the survey was retitled the FPC-8/EIA-191 Survey. Form FPC-8 was renewed in December 1985 and the survey retitled FERC-8/EIA-191 Survey. The forms were not merged because of FERC's stated desire to maintain the separate identity of the FERC-8 for administrative reasons. In September 1995, the FERC discontinued the reporting requirements of Form FERC-8. FERC jurisdictional firms continue to file Form EIA

Survey Universe and Response Statistics

The 140 companies that operate underground facilities file the Form EIA-191 The response rate as of the filing deadline is approximately 20 percent. Data from the remaining 80 percent of respondents are received in writing and/or by telephone within 3 to 4 days after the filing deadline. All data supplied by telephone are subsequently filed in writing, generally within 15 days of the filing deadline. The final response rate is 100 percent.

Summary of EIA-191 Data Reporting Requirements

The EIA-191 monthly schedule contains current month and prior month's data on the total quantities of gas in storage, injections and withdrawals, the location (including state and county, field, reservoir) and peak day withdrawals during the reporting period. Prior month's data are required only when data are revised. The annual schedule contains type of facility, storage field capacity, maximum deliverability and pipelines to which each field is connected. The annual schedule is filed with the December submission.

Collection of the survey is on a custody basis. Information requested must be provided within 20 days after the first day of each month. Twelve reports are required per calendar year. Respondents are required to indicate whether the data reported are actual or estimated. For most of the estimated filings, the actual data or necessary revisions are reflected in the prior month section of the monthly form. Actual data on natural gas injections and withdrawals from underground storage are based on metered quantities. Data on quantities of gas in storage and on storage capacity represent, in part, reservoir engineering evaluations. All volumes are reported at 14.73 psia and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Routine Form EIA-191 Edit Checks

Data received on Form EIA-191 are entered into the survey processing system. The survey's five principal data elements (total, base, working gas in storage, injections, and withdrawals) receive a preliminary visual edit to eliminate and correct obvious errors or omissions. Respondents are required to refile reports containing any inconsistencies or errors.

"Quarterly Natural Gas Import and Export Sales and Price Report"

Form EIA-857, "Monthly Report of Natural Gas Purchases and Deliveries to Consumers"

   Form & Instructions

Survey Design

The original Form EIA-857 was approved for use in December 1984. Response to the Form EIA-857 is mandatory on a monthly basis. Data collected on the Form EIA-857 cover the 50 states and the District of Columbia and include both price and volume data. Data are considered proprietary.

Survey Universe and Response Statistics

A sample of approximately 400 natural gas companies, including interstate pipelines, intrastate pipelines, and local distribution companies, report to the survey. The sample was selected independently for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia from a frame consisting of all respondents to Form EIA-176 who reported deliveries of natural gas to consumers in the residential, commercial, or industrial sectors. Each selected company is required to complete and file the Form EIA-857 on a monthly basis. Initial response statistics on a monthly basis are as follows: responses received by due date, approximately 50 percent, and responses received after follow-up, 95 percent. When a response is extremely late, and the company represents less than 25 percent of the natural gas volumes delivered by all sampled companies in the state, values are imputed as described in Statistical Details. When the company's submission is eventually received, the submitted data are used for future processing and revisions.

The Form EIA-857 is a monthly sample survey of firms delivering natural gas to consumers. It provides data that are used to estimate monthly sales of natural gas (volume and price) by state and monthly deliveries of natural gas on behalf of others (volume) by state to three consumer sectors - residential, commercial, and industrial. (Monthly deliveries and prices of natural gas to electric utilities are reported on the Form FERC-423, "Monthly Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants Report," and the Form EIA-906, "Power Plant Report.") See Statistical Details for a discussion of the sample design and estimation procedures.

Summary of Form EIA-857 Data Reporting Requirements

Data collected monthly on the Form EIA-857 on a state level include the volume and cost of purchased gas, the volume and cost of natural gas consumed by sector (residential, commercial, and industrial), and the average heat content of all gas consumed. Respondents file completed forms with EIA in Washington, DC on or before the 30th day after the end of the report month.

All natural gas volumes are reported in thousand cubic feet at 14.73 psia at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and dollar values are reported as whole dollar.

Routine Form EIA-857 Edit Checks

A series of manual and computerized edit checks are used to screen the Form EIA-857 The edits performed include validity and analytical checks.

Electric Utility Data

The electric utility data published in this report are taken from the Forms EIA-906, "Power Plant Report" and FERC-423, "Monthly Cost and Quality of Fuels for Electric Plants Report." These data were used in order to maintain consistency among EIA publications. Electric data are necessary on the Form EIA-176 to provide a supply/disposition balance on the form. Differences in the two surveys are apparent in the results published in "Natural Gas Deliveries to Consumers by State," and "Natural Gas Delivered to Electric Utilities for the Account of Others by State," where volumes in the latter sometimes exceed volumes in the former. A state-by-state comparison of the reported volumes of natural gas, as collected on the Form EIA-176 and EIA-906 is shown in Table A1 The national totals differ by 401 billion cubic feet or 15 percent in relative terms. While processing the data reported on the Form EIA-176, the EIA made special efforts to determine the reasons for the differences in reporting of electric utility data on the Form EIA-176 and Form EIA-906. Typical instances of misreporting occurred in the reporting of gas delivered to electric utilities for the account of others. Some companies reported these deliveries under sales for resale. Others reported them under transportation, exchange and/or storage deliveries. A few others reported them under transported to industrials.

Companies making mistakes were asked to refile, and new companies were asked to file when they were found making deliveries of gas. Most companies were cooperative, and their refilings and new filings improved the accuracy of the data.

Other Data Sources

The U.S. Minerals Management Service (USMMS) supplied data on the quantity and value of natural gas production and the number of producing wells in the Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf. Volumes of extraction losses were reported on Form EIA-64A, "Annual Report of the Origin of Natural Gas Liquids Production." Heat (Btu) content extraction loss was estimated from data reported on Form EIA-64A and Form EIA-816, "Monthly Natural Gas Liquids Report." Volumes and prices of natural gas imports and exports were reported to the Office of Fossil Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Gas Imports and Exports. These data are nonproprietary and are filed annually by each individual or organization having authorization to import and export natural gas.