Within the past week

Short-Term Energy Outlook

Dec 11, 2012
EIA expects that the Brent crude oil spot price will average $110 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2012, while the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil spot price will average $89 per barrel. The Brent and WTI crude oil spot prices are forecast to average $104 per barrel and $88 per barrel, respectively, in 2013.

Market Prices and Uncertainty Report—STEO Supplement

Dec 11, 2012
Crude oil prices have been relatively unchanged since the start of November (Figure 1). The ranges for both Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) from November 1 to December 6 are the smallest over any five-week period since April of this year.

Fluid catalytic cracking is an important step in producing gasoline

Dec 11, 2012
Refineries vary by complexity; more complex refineries have more secondary conversion capability, meaning they can produce different types of petroleum products. Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is a type of secondary unit operation, and is primarily used in producing additional gasoline in the refining process.

Trends in Renewable Energy Consumption and Electricity

Dec 11, 2012
Presents a summary of the nation’s renewable energy consumption in 2010 along with detailed historical data on renewable energy consumption by energy source and end-use sector. Data presented also includes renewable energy consumption for electricity generation and for non-electric use by energy source, and net summer capacity and net generation by energy source and State. The report covers the period from 2006 through 2010.

Vacuum distillation is a key part of the refining process

Dec 10, 2012
About 80% of the refineries operating in the United States have a vacuum distillation unit (VDU), a secondary processing unit consisting of vacuum distillation columns. Vacuum distillation is a part of the refining process that helps to produce petroleum products out of the heavier oils left over from atmospheric distillation.

EIA projections for carbon dioxide emissions reflect changes in key drivers

Dec 7, 2012
Projections for U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have generally been lowered in recent editions of the Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), the long-term projections of the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The lowered projections reflect both market and policy developments that have reduced recent and projected growth in energy demand and its expected carbon intensity.

Within the past 30 days

Cheaper natural gas alters generation dispatch in Southeast

Dec 6, 2012
The electric power industry in the southeastern United States has undergone substantial changes over the past three years. While coal-fired power plants continue to generate a majority of electricity in the region, their overall production has declined since 2010, and production from natural gas-fired plants has increased. This change can be primarily attributed to changes in the relative prices of natural gas and coal, which altered the dispatch order of power plants in the region.

AEO2013 Early Release Overview

Dec 5, 2012
The Annual Energy Outlook 2013 (AEO2013) Reference case released today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) presents updated projections for U.S. energy markets through 2040. The Reference case projetions include only the effects of policies that have been implemented in law or final regulations.

What is shale gas and why is it important?

Dec 5, 2012
Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich sources of petroleum and natural gas. Over the past decade, the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing has allowed access to large volumes of shale gas that were previously uneconomical to produce. This article includes updated discussion and graphics of shale gas projections from the Annual Energy Outlook 2012 Early Release Overview.

EIA projections show U.S. energy production growing faster than consumption through 2040

Dec 5, 2012
EIA has just issued its Annual Energy Outlook 2013 (AEO2013) Reference case, which highlights a growth in total U.S. energy production that exceeds growth in total U.S. energy consumption through 2040. "EIA's updated Reference case shows how evolving consumer preferences, improved technology, and economic changes are pushing the nation toward more domestic energy production, greater vehicle efficiency, greater use of clean energy, and reduced energy imports," said EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski.

EIA to release AEO2013 Reference case today

Dec 5, 2012
Later today, EIA will issue its Annual Energy Outlook 2013 (AEO2013) Reference case, which focuses on the drivers that shape U.S. energy markets under the assumption that current laws and regulations remain generally unchanged throughout the projection period. The complete AEO2013, to be released in early 2013, will include many alternative cases in recognition of the uncertainty inherent in making projections about energy markets, which in part arises from assumptions about policies and other market drivers such as trends in prices and economic growth. An updated Today in Energy article with results from the AEO Early Release will be available at 1:00 p.m. today.

U.S. monthly crude oil production reaches highest level since 1998

Dec 4, 2012
U.S. crude oil production (including lease condensate) averaged almost 6.5 million barrels per day in September 2012, the highest volume in nearly 15 years. The last time the United States produced 6.5 million barrels per day of crude oil was in January 1998.

EIA projects little change in U.S. coal production in 2013

Dec 3, 2012
EIA projects total U.S. coal production in 2013 to be close to its 2012 level in the November 2012 Short-Term Energy Outlook as coal stockpile drawdowns and lower exports offset a projected increase in domestic coal consumption.

Petroleum Marketing Monthly

Dec 3, 2012
In this issue of the Petroleum Marketing Monthly, survey data show prices for crude oil and finished petroleum products continued to rise during September, while September Prime Supplier sales data show an overall downward trend in consumption of finished petroleum products. Also, please see “Explaining EIA Crude Oil and Petroleum Product Price Data and Comparing with Other U.S. Government Data Sources, 2001 to 2010” for an in-depth examination of EIA petroleum products marketing survey data to other sources of similar information.

Explaining EIA Crude Oil and Petroleum Product Price Data and Comparing with Other U.S. Government Data Sources, 2001 to 2010

Dec 3, 2012
This article describes the sampling frames and basic data collection methods for petroleum price data reported by EIA and other Government agencies. In addition, it compares and contrasts annual average prices reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) with comparable prices from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) CPI (Consumer Price Indexes) for the retail prices of residential No. 2 distillate, on-highway diesel fuel and motor gasoline (all grades.) Further, it compares refiner wholesale/resale prices for No. 2 fuel oil, No. 2 diesel fuel, motor gasoline (all grades,) kerosene-type jet fuel and residual fuel oil reported by EIA with comparable prices from the BLS PPI (Producer Price Index.) A discussion of the various crude oil prices and spot/futures prices published by EIA and other Government agencies is also included in the article.

Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales

Nov 30, 2012
The Fuel Oil and Kerosene Sales 2011 data are available in the Data Tables section. We have updated our methodology for the 2011 data and are in the process of revising some of the data for prior years using the updated methodology. Therefore, the Introduction, Highlights, and Technical Notes will not be available with the November release of the 2011 data. That information along with revisions to prior years will be released in January 2013. Comparison of 2011 data to prior years should not be done until after the revised data are released in January 2013.

Monthly Natural Gas Gross Production Report

Nov 30, 2012
Monthly natural gas gross withdrawals estimated from data collected on Form EIA-914 (Monthly Natural Gas Production Report) for Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, Other States and Lower 48 States. Alaska data are from the State of Alaska and included to obtain a U.S. Total.

Natural Gas Monthly

Nov 30, 2012
The November Natural Gas Monthly, featuring data for September 2012, has been released. While monthly dry production for September decreased slightly to 1,973 billion cubic feet (Bcf), the daily rate of 65.8 Bcf per day represented a 0.5 Bcf/day increase over August. Continuing a trend over the past several months, total consumption of 1,790 Bcf was at a historic high for September, with demand from electric power plants reaching 807 Bcf, an 18 percent increase over September 2011.

Canada Week: Natural gas net imports from Canada continue to decline

Nov 30, 2012
Net imports of natural gas from Canada have been falling for years, and this trend has accelerated with the growth in U.S. shale gas production, especially in the Northeast. For the first eight months in 2012, net imports from Canada fell by about 7%, to 5.7 billion cubic feet per day (Bcfd), from the same period in 2011.

Petroleum Supply Monthly

Nov 29, 2012
Supply and disposition of crude oil and petroleum products on a national and regional level. The data series describe production, imports and exports, movements and inventories.

Monthly Biodiesel Production Report

Nov 29, 2012
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released new data today showing national and regional monthly biodiesel production for September 2012. In addition to biodiesel production, data included producer sales, producer stocks, and feedstock inputs.

Working and Net Available Shell Storage Capacity

Nov 29, 2012
Working and Net Available Shell Storage Capacity as of September 30, 2012 is the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) report containing semi-annual storage capacity data. It includes three tables detailing working and net available shell storage capacity by facility type, product, and PAD District as of September 30, 2012.

Canada Week: Canada is a declining market for U.S. coal

Nov 29, 2012
Exports of U.S. coal to Canada have declined in recent years as Canada has reduced its coal-fired electric generation.

Electricity Wholesale Market Data

Nov 29, 2012
Spreadsheets contain peak prices, volumes, and the number of transactions at ten electricity trading hubs covering most regions of the United States. Data from ICE (IntercontinentalExchange) through November 23, 2012.

Company Level Imports

Nov 29, 2012
Imports data at the company level collected from the EIA-814 Monthly Imports Report

Historical coal production data

Nov 28, 2012
EIA’s detailed historical coal production file for 2011 is now available. Data for 1983 through 1990 has also been added. Additionally, EIA has used current data, acquired from MSHA, to update labor hours, annual production, and employment data for all the years.

Monthly Energy Review

Nov 28, 2012
EIA's most comprehensive report on recent integrated energy statistics. Preliminary data indicate that, in August 2012, the U.S. transportation sector accounted for 29 percent of total primary energy consumption.

Canada Week: Canada is the leading supplier of crude oil to the United States

Nov 28, 2012
U.S. imports of Canadian crude oil rose to record levels during the first eight months of 2012, with Canada accounting for a growing share of total gross U.S. imports. The United States is importing more crude oil from Canada, even though the total amount of crude oil America buys from foreign suppliers is falling.

Canada Week: Integrated electric grid improves reliability for United States, Canada

Nov 27, 2012
Electric transmission lines crossing the U.S.-Canadian border allow electric trading across the border. More importantly, the North American electric power system is integrated, allowing the United States and Canada to pool resources to improve electric reliability.

Canada Week: The United States and Canada share the world's most significant energy trade

Nov 26, 2012
The United States and Canada form the largest integrated energy market in the world. Energy trade between these countries exceeded $100 billion dollars (U.S.) in 2011. Together, they establish a continental market for energy across many types of fuels and products—petroleum products, natural gas, electricity, hydropower, coal and others.

Thanksgiving gasoline prices slightly above last year's level

Nov 23, 2012
National average gasoline prices are currently $3.41 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel (as of 11/21), slightly above prices a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). The U.S. average price for regular gasoline on Thanksgiving 2011 was $3.36 per gallon, which was a record for that time of year.

New York/New Jersey Intra Harbor Petroleum Supplies Following Hurricane Sandy: Summary Of Impacts Through November 13, 2012

Nov 21, 2012
With the help of the National Petroleum Council and with the voluntary participation of the industry, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) conducted a survey to evaluate product flows in the New York Harbor (NYH) area both prior to Hurricane Sandy and as of Tuesday, November 13. Terminals representing 98% of storage capacity in the NYH area participated in this effort. EIA and Department of Energy staff have remained abreast of the evolving situation since that time. However, this paper reports on the situation as of November 13, the last date for which data covering virtually all of the NYH petroleum terminal infrastructure are available.

Wind energy tax credit set to expire at the end of 2012

Nov 21, 2012
The wind energy production tax credit (PTC), along with state-level policies, has boosted the growth of the U.S. wind industry over the past decade, but the PTC is set to expire at year-end unless legislation extending its provisions is approved.

Prime Supplier Report

Nov 21, 2012
The latest Prime Supplier Report presents data collected through September 2012 on Form EIA—782C, "Monthly Report of Prime Supplier Sales of Petroleum Products Sold for Local Consumption." These data measure primary petroleum product deliveries into the States where they are locally marketed and consumed.

Electricity Monthly Update

Nov 21, 2012
This issue contains a feature article that discusses combined heat and power technology. Other highlights include: Almost all regions of the country observed an increase in natural gas-fired generation when compared to September 2011. However, just like last month, Texas was the outlier because the State observed above average temperatures in September 2011, while in 2012, Texas observed average temperatures during the month. Average wholesale electricity prices remained below $50/MWh for most of the country for most of September, though prices exceeded $60/MWh at the beginning of the month in ERCOT, PJM, and NYISO. After reaching a low of $2.03 / MMBtu in April 2012, the price of Henry Hub natural gas has increased by over 46 percent to $2.96 / MMBtu in September 2012.

Electric Power Monthly

Nov 21, 2012
Data are for September 2012, during which net generation in the United States was down 1.0 percent from September 2011. Retail sales of electricity were down 2.6 percent from September 2011. The average U.S. retail price of electricity in September 2012 was up 0.2 percent from September 2011.

EIA-176 Data Query System Updated for 2011

Nov 20, 2012
The Natural Gas Annual Respondent Query System has been updated with data for 2011 for the EIA-176, Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition. The release includes company-level data on natural gas deliveries to end-use consumers.

Rig count in Utica Shale doubles from year ago

Nov 20, 2012
The number of active oil and natural gas rigs in the Appalachian Basin's Utica Shale formation for the last week of October 2012 (ended October 26) has doubled compared with the level for the same week in 2011. The growth in active oil-directed rigs has more than offset the declines in active gas-directed rigs.

Cost of transporting coal to power plants rose almost 50% in decade

Nov 19, 2012
The average cost of shipping coal by railroad to power plants increased almost 50% in the United States from 2001 to 2010. Railroad transport accounts for more than 70% of U.S. coal destined to the electric power sector, so changes in rail rates can have an important impact on the cost of coal delivered to power plants. Though they vary significantly, transportation costs accounted for 40% of the average overall cost of coal delivered at electric power plants in 2010.

Coal Transportation Rates to the Electric Power Sector

Nov 16, 2012
EIA releases new data on coal transportation rates to the electric power sector to incorporate new EIA survey data from the EIA-923. This expanded coverage enables EIA to publish data over numerous routes that were previously withheld due to confidentiality concerns. It allowed for more in-depth analysis especially for state to state rates. Another feature of this release is the incorporation – for the first time – of coal transport rates by barge and truck.

Population shifts across U.S. regions affect overall heating and cooling needs

Nov 16, 2012
Since the nation's founding, the population of the United States has migrated westward. The advent of air conditioning contributed to population shifts to southern tier states as well. This regional shifting of the population affected the need for heating and cooling.

Europe and Asia are the leading destinations for U.S. coal exports in 2012

Nov 15, 2012
About 75% of U.S. coal exports were shipped to Europe and Asia in 2012, continuing the growth of the past few years with exports this year expected to reach an all-time high. Despite growing demand in Asia, the United States exports slightly more coal to Europe than it sends the rest of the world combined.

Electricity Wholesale Market Data

Nov 15, 2012
Spreadsheets contain peak prices, volumes, and the number of transactions at ten electricity trading hubs covering most regions of the United States. Data from ICE (IntercontinentalExchange) through November 9, 2012.

Notice of Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report Changes

Nov 15, 2012
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is changing the Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR) for the following: The table will now include subtotals for salt dome and nonsalt facilities for the Producing Region. A new file format JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) will be introduced for easier data exchange. The WNGSR web pages will also be updated to match the look of the rest of EIA's website. The web address, existing filenames, and EIA's Gatekeeper delivery methodology will remain unchanged.

San Onofre nuclear outage contributes to Southern California’s changing generation profile

Nov 14, 2012
The January 2012 outage at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), located just north of San Diego, changed the California electricity market. SONGS Units 2 and 3 provided the market with a consistent source of baseload electricity since the units began operating in 1983 and 1984. The loss of SONGS is a significant contributor to changes in the California electricity generating profile over the past year.

Despite customer outages, wholesale electric markets operated during Hurricane Sandy

Nov 13, 2012
Despite causing more than eight million customers to lose power, Hurricane Sandy had only a small effect on wholesale electricity markets. Disruptions to electricity demand in the wake of the storm partially offset the temporary loss of supply, limiting wholesale price increases. Although supply and demand imbalances can result in significant price effects, power markets remained relatively orderly despite the stress from the storm.

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