Natural gas output declines in lower 48 US states
By DAVID BIRD
Natural gas output in the Lower 48 US states in December eased 0.2%, or 0.14 billion cubic feet per day, to 72.54 billion cubic feet a day, government data released Wednesday show.
The decline is the first since February 2011 and came against record-high output in November.
The Energy Information Administration revised up November output to 72.68 bcf/day from the preliminary level of 72.61 bcf/day.
December's decline came primarily from a drop in Wyoming output, which slid 3.4% to its lowest level since September, partly due to a fire at a compressor station, the EIA said.
The bulk of increases came from outside the traditional gas-producing states of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Wyoming.
The "other states," such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, where shale-gas output has jumped, posted a rise of 1.9%, or 0.4 bcf/day, to a record 21.08 bcf/day.
Oklahoma posted an increase of 0.9%, or 0.05 bcf/day, "as several new wells came online in the Woodford shale play," the EIA said.
The December data predate some modest output cuts unveiled in January as prices hit 10-year lows.
Dow Jones Newswires
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