U.S. home heating bills likely to be slightly higher this winter

Most U.S. households can expect higher heating expenditures this winter (October through March) compared with last winter according to EIA's Winter Fuels Outlook. Higher expected winter heating expenditures are mainly the result of higher prices for heating fuels, as temperatures are expected to be similar to last winter in much of the country. More information about EIA’s expectations for winter fuels prices and expenditures is available in the Short-Term Energy Outlook supplement on winter fuels, released at noon today. More »

The United States continues to increase production of lighter crude oil

As domestic production continues to increase, the average density of crude oil produced in the United States continues to become lighter. The average API gravity—a measure of a crude oil’s density where higher numbers mean lower density—of U.S. crude oil increased in 2017 and through the first six months of 2018. Crude oil production with an API gravity greater than 40 degrees grew by 310,000 barrels per day (b/d) to more than 4.6 million b/d in 2017. This increase represents 53% of total Lower 48 production in 2017, an increase from 50% in 2015, the earliest year for which EIA has oil production data by API gravity. More »

Hurricane path, not just size, can have a large effect on oil and gas production

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season produced 13 named storms as of October 5, including 6 hurricanes. The most recent of these storms that made landfall in the United States were Tropical Storm Gordon and Hurricane Florence. Gordon entered the Gulf of Mexico on September 3, triggering the first shut-in oil and natural gas production of the 2018 season. Hurricane Florence struck the East Coast on September 14 and had no impact on Gulf of Mexico production. More »

Both natural gas supply and demand have increased from year-ago levels

In the first half of 2018, U.S. natural gas supply and demand grew significantly compared to the first half of 2017. According to EIA’s Natural Gas Monthly, natural gas consumption and exports averaged 93.2 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) during the first half of 2018, or 12% greater than during the first half of 2017. Total supply of U.S. natural gas, including domestic production, imports, and storage withdrawals, averaged 92.6 Bcf/d during the first half of 2018, a 12% increase from the first half of 2017. More »

U.S. uranium imports continue as domestic production remains at historical lows

During 2017, owners and operators of U.S. nuclear power plants purchased 40 million pounds of uranium from foreign suppliers. Canada, Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan represented the top five countries of origin and together accounted for 84% of total U.S. uranium purchases in 2017. A little more than half of these purchases originated from Canada and Australia, which provided 14 million pounds and 8 million pounds of uranium, respectively. The United States supplied 3 million pounds, or 7% of total uranium purchased by U.S. power plants. More »

Crude oil entering Gulf Coast refineries has become lighter as imports have declined

The density of crude oil processed by U.S. Gulf Coast refineries has become lighter since 2008 as refineries moved away from heavier imported crude oil to lighter crude oil produced in Texas. The Gulf Coast is home to most of the nation’s petroleum refineries, and these refineries tend to run a diverse mix of crude oils that, similar to the national average, has become lighter since 2008. More »