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In-brief analysis
Sep 26, 2024

Category 3 Hurricane Helene nears landfall, disrupts energy infrastructure

Hurrican Helene's forecast path and nearby energy infrastructure

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Energy Atlas map of hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons; NWS National Hurricane Center
Note: Major hurricanes are classified as Category 3 or higher. LNG=liquefied natural gas

As of 8:00 a.m. eastern time on September 26, Hurricane Helene was expected to make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the eastern part of the Florida Panhandle late Thursday with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, creating the potential for significant disruptions to energy infrastructure. Hurricane Helene is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the United States this hurricane season. The other three named storms that made landfall so far this hurricane season (Beryl, Debby, and Francine) were either Category 1 or 2 hurricanes.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 25, 2024

U.S. net natural gas exports remain flat in the first half of 2024

U.S. monthly natural gas trade

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Monthly

In the first six months of 2024, U.S. net natural gas exports (exports minus imports) averaged 12.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), 1% (0.1 Bcf/d) more than the same period last year and 2% (0.3 Bcf/d) less than in 2023, according to our Natural Gas Monthly. Since 2019, increases in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and exports by pipeline to Mexico have led the growth in U.S. natural gas exports. The United States has exported more natural gas than it imports since 2017.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 24, 2024

The United States is the world’s largest gasoline exporter

global annual motor gasoline exports by select countries

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Agency, and Facts Global Energy

The United States is the world’s largest exporter of motor gasoline (finished gasoline plus gasoline blending components), supplying over 16% of total global exports. U.S. motor gasoline exports in 2023 averaged 900,000 barrels per day (b/d), equivalent to about 10% of domestic consumption and enough to fill up the tanks of over 1.5 million SUVs per day, assuming an average tank size of 24 gallons. Other large gasoline exporters, including Singapore and the Netherlands, have never exceeded 700,000 b/d in gasoline exports. China and India have both added significant refining capacity since 2010 and have also increased gasoline exports.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 23, 2024

Decline in natural gas price drove decrease in U.S. oil producer revenue in early 2024

cash flow statement items for 36 publicly traded U.S. oil companies

Data source: Evaluate Energy

Financial results for 36 publicly traded U.S. oil exploration and production (E&P) companies show that cash from operations in the first quarter of 2024 has decreased in real terms from the first quarter of 2023 due to lower natural gas prices.

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In-depth analysis
Sep 19, 2024

Understanding petroleum product supplied—our proxy for consumption

U.S. petroleum product supplied compared with consumption

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

EIA does not directly survey petroleum consumption; instead, we calculate a similar concept called product supplied from our surveys that span the U.S. petroleum industry. Although we use petroleum product supplied interchangeably with petroleum consumption, the two are not identical.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 18, 2024

West Coast jet fuel margins fell in August because of high inventories

Los Angeles jet fuel crack spread

Data source: Bloomberg L.P.
Note: To calculate the crack spread, we subtract the Brent crude oil average spot price from the Los Angeles jet fuel wholesale spot price.

More jet fuel has been in U.S. West Coast inventories than over the previous five years for 29 out of 35 weeks so far in 2024, according to our Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR). High inventories helped reduce Los Angeles regional crack spreads for jet fuel to an average of 5 cents per gallon (gal) in August, lower than any point in the last five years, including during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Crack spreads represent the price difference between products and crude oil and can be used to determine the relative value of various petroleum products for refineries to produce.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 17, 2024

Heat content of dry natural gas in Texas was among the lowest in the United States in 2023

heat content of natural gas delivered to select U.S. states

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Monthly

The heat content of dry natural gas delivered in Texas, which uses the largest volume of natural gas in the United States, was among the lowest nationwide in 2023, averaging 1,018 British thermal units per cubic foot (Btu/cf), or 1.7% below the national average (1,036 Btu/cf), according to our Natural Gas Monthly.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 16, 2024

Development of new fields in Gulf of Mexico to offset production decline in 2024 and 2025

Federal Gulf of Mexico production


We recently implemented a new model for forecasting crude oil and natural gas production from the U.S. Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico (GOM) in the Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). In our latest outlook, we forecast that GOM production will remain relatively flat with new fields offsetting the natural production declines from existing fields.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 12, 2024

Hurricane Francine has taken energy infrastructure offline

This article was updated September 13 to reflect corrections to data and external links.

U.S. oil and gas infrastructure in Hurricane Francine's path

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
Note: Forecast track is as of September 12, 2024, 9:45 a.m. LNG=liquefied natural gas

Hurricane Francine made landfall Wednesday on the Louisiana coast before being downgraded to a tropical storm, taking some energy infrastructure offline along the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana through Alabama. Detailed information on energy infrastructure and storm risks is available and regularly updated in our U.S. Energy Atlas.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 12, 2024

U.S. electric power sector explores hydrogen cofiring at natural gas-fired plants

Hydrogen plans or tests at U.S. power plants (2024)

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, and company statements

Against a backdrop of policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, operators of a handful of natural gas plants have taken early steps to integrate hydrogen into their fuel streams. Hydrogen alone does not create CO2 emissions when combusted.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 11, 2024

Retail electricity prices closely tracked inflation over the last 10 years

U.S. residential electricity prices, inflation-adjusted and nominal prices with change in prices and inflation rates

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly
Note: Inflation adjustment uses the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The change in average residential electricity prices across the United States has generally mirrored the rate of inflation over the past decade, increasing by less than 1% in inflation-adjusted terms between 2013 and 2023. Without adjusting for inflation, the average retail price of electricity for the residential sector increased from a little more than 12 cents per kilowatthour (kWh) in 2013 to 16 cents per kWh in 2023.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 10, 2024

Natural gas pipeline capacity from the Permian Basin is set to increase

select natural gas infrastructure in Texas

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Pipeline Project Tracker

Natural gas pipeline takeaway capacity in the Permian Basin will soon increase as the Matterhorn Express Pipeline, with a capacity of 2.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), is expected to begin service this month, according to EnLink Midstream, one of the project’s stakeholders.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 9, 2024

Trend toward electric utility rate increases in regulated markets continues in 2024

annual U.S. net rate increase

Data source: S&P Capital IQ rate case database
Note: Real=adjusted for inflation to 2023 dollars

Utility regulators in the United States are considering increases to electricity rates again this year as electric utilities seek to cover the investments needed to maintain and expand their systems. Utilities requested rate increases in recent years to pay for improvements to transmission and distribution lines to withstand increasingly serious weather and fire events, prepare for increased electrification as state and federal clean energy legislation is implemented, and move more energy reliably, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence Capital IQ Pro.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 5, 2024

Batteries are a fast-growing secondary electricity source for the grid

cumulative U.S. utility-scale battery power capacity

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, early release 2023 Annual Electric Generator Report (for annual data 2010–23) and our July 2024 electric generator inventory (for July 2024 data)
Note: Annual data are end-of-year operational nameplate capacities at installations with at least 1 megawatt of nameplate power capacity.

  • Utility-scale battery energy storage systems have been growing quickly as a source of electric power capacity in the United States in recent years. In the first seven months of 2024, operators added 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity to the U.S. electric power grid, according to data in our July 2024 electric generator inventory. In 2010, only 4 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale battery energy storage was added in the United States. In July 2024, more than 20.7 GW of battery energy storage capacity was available in the United States.

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In-brief analysis
Sep 4, 2024

U.S. thermal coal exports to Asia and Africa surge as shipments to Europe fall

U.S. thermal coal exports

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau

U.S. exports of thermal coal to Asia and Africa surged in the first half of 2024, helping to drive overall U.S. coal exports (thermal and metallurgical) to 53 million short tons (MMst) from 49 MMst in the first half of 2023.

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