Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states rose to 113.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in September, up from a monthly record high of 112.2 bcfd in August.
Record output and mild weather have allowed energy firms to keep the amount of gas in inventory above the five-year (2021-2025) average since March.
Meteorologists forecast weather would remain mostly warmer through October 2, with power generators burning more gas than usual to keep air conditioners running. About 40% of U.S. power generation comes from gas-fired plants.
LSEG said average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, is expected to slide from 109.6 bcfd this week to 106.6 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Wednesday.
Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. LNG export plants rose to 18.2 bcfd so far in September, up from 17.2 bcfd in August, but remained short of the monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April.
On a daily basis, however, LNG feedgas was on track to fall to a three-week low of 17.5 bcfd on Thursday due mostly to maintenance at U.S. energy firm Sempra Energy's 2.0-bcfd Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana.
U.S. energy firm Berkshire Hathaway Energy, meanwhile, said it plans to start planned maintenance on its 0.8-bcfd Cove Point LNG export plant in Maryland over the next week or so.
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