US Natural Gas Exports Surge to Record Highs Amid Global Market Disruptions
US natural gas exports have surged to record highs in 2026, averaging 17.4 billion cubic feet per day in the first six months of the year, up 23% from the same period in 2025. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), this growth is largely due to an increase in capacity at leading exporters like Cheniere Energy and Venture Global.
The EIA expects US LNG exports to continue growing, reaching an average of 18.7 billion cubic feet per day by the first half of 2027. Egypt was the top destination for US LNG exports in the first half of 2026, with a recorded 314.6 billion cubic feet compared to just 115 billion cubic feet in the same period last year.
Conflict in the Middle East has disrupted global natural gas markets, with a 35 billion cubic meter decline in Qatari and UAE LNG loadings between March and June 2026 due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. This has reinforced the dependence on unreliable sources of supply and made geopolitical events more impactful on the market.