Average U.S. LNG Feedgas Demand Hits Lowest Point Since October 2025

Why It Matters

The dip highlights how maintenance bottlenecks can offset capacity growth, affecting U.S. gas flows and export revenue during a peak demand season. Stakeholders must manage pipeline availability to sustain the United States’ position as a reliable LNG supplier.

Key Takeaways

• May feedgas demand fell to 18.3 Bcf/d, lowest since Oct 2025
• New export capacity added 1.1 Bcf/d but demand still declined
• Cameron LNG maintenance cut deliveries by ~0.65 Bcf/d
• Corpus Christi feedgas fell ~0.62 Bcf/d amid pipeline reductions
• CGT maintenance could limit Cameron feedgas up to 450 MMcf/d in June

Pulse Analysis

The U.S. natural gas market entered its shoulder season with an unexpected contraction in feedgas volumes, underscoring the delicate balance between infrastructure availability and export ambition. While the country celebrated the commissioning of 1.1 Bcf/d of new LNG capacity, the operational reality of summer turnarounds at Cameron LNG and Corpus Christi LNG erased much of that upside. Maintenance on feeder pipelines—Cameron Interstate, Columbia Gulf Transmission, and the Corpus Christi Pipeline—reduced deliveries by over 1.2 Bcf/d, pulling the national average down to 18.3 Bcf/d, a level not seen since October 2025.

Cameron LNG’s outage began on April 30, with the Cameron Interstate Pipeline shedding 314 MMcf/d and Columbia Gulf Transmission another 293 MMcf/d. Simultaneously, Corpus Christi LNG saw a 542 MMcf/d drop, primarily from reduced NGPL and Tennessee Gas Pipeline feed. The cascading effect of these pipeline constraints illustrates how localized maintenance can ripple through the broader gas network, potentially limiting the United States’ ability to meet lucrative European summer demand despite high spot prices and depleted European storage.

Looking ahead, the industry faces a tightrope walk: keep maintenance schedules tight while preserving export throughput to capitalize on premium market conditions. Operators are likely to lean on advanced flow‑visibility tools, such as FactSet’s Natural Gas Markets data feed, to fine‑tune nominations and mitigate bottlenecks. With summer export contracts looming, the ability to quickly adapt to pipeline capacity shifts will be a decisive factor in sustaining the U.S. LNG market’s growth trajectory.