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Industrial Natural Gas Demand. The factors affecting EIA’s industrial natural gas consumption forecast. GDP; Employment; Prices; Weather; Natural gas-weighted industrial production index . EXAMPLE: Food(0.1091) + Paper(0.0945) + … + Fabricated Metal Products(0.0507)
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The factors affecting EIA’s industrial natural gas consumption forecast • GDP; • Employment; • Prices; • Weather; • Natural gas-weighted industrial production index. EXAMPLE: Food(0.1091) + Paper(0.0945) + … + Fabricated Metal Products(0.0507) • PROBLEM: Industrial natural gas consumption has declined while all proxies for industrial production have increased.
Data Sources • U.S. Census Bureau. Current Industrial Reports; • U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Manufacturers Survey; • U.S. Geological Service. Minerals Commodity Statistics and Information; • U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; • American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI); • EIA Natural Gas Monthly; • EIA Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS); • EIA Petroleum Supply Annual; • EIA -820 Survey: Fuels Consumed at Refineries.
Overview: Natural Gas Consumption in the Industrial Sector • Industrial sector accounts for largest percentage of total U.S. natural gas consumption. • Business operations of industrial sector consumers are sensitive to large, sustained swings in the price of natural gas. • Annual average price to industrial consumers was $3.59/MMCF in 1997 and $7.88/MMCF in 2006 (nominal). U.S. Natural Gas Consumption by Sector, 2006
The Composition of Industrial Natural Gas Consumption: 2002 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS)
Natural gas-weighted Industrial Production Index results with various MECS demand shares
The Puzzle: Industrial Natural Gas Demand ≠ Industrial Production Index
2002 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS) *Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
Petroleum and Coal Products (NAICS 324) • Petroleum and coal products (NAICS 324) accounted for about 14 percent of total industrial natural gas demand (MECS, 2002). • Petroleum refineries (NAICS 324110) were responsible for 799 Bcf, or 94 percent, of natural gas consumption in this subgroup (MECS, 2002). • Natural gas consumption at petroleum refineries (NAICS 324110) declined more than 17 percent from 2000 to 2006.
16 Refineries Account for Large Portion of Decline in Fuel Consumption
Agricultural Chemicals (NAICS 3253) • Agricultural chemicals* (NAICS 3253) accounted for roughly 8 percent of total industrial natural gas (MECS, 2002). • 22 percent of the natural gas consumed in the chemicals (NAICS 325) subsector (MECS, 2002). • Nitrogenous fertilizers make up 94 percent of gas consumption within the agricultural chemicals sector (MECS, 2002). • About 90 percent of U.S. ammonia production in 2006 was dedicated to manufacturing nitrogenous fertilizers (U.S. Census). • *Agricultural chemicals require the dual use of natural gas as a fuel and feedstock.
Agricultural Chemicals: Ammonia Imports Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Current Industrial Reports: Fertilizers and Related Chemicals.
Primary Metals (NAICS 331): Iron and Steel Mills • Primary metals (NAICS 331) accounted for roughly 11 percent of total industrial natural gas (MECS, 2002). • 58 percent of the natural gas consumption for primary metals was by iron and steel mills (NAICS 3311). • Natural gas consumption for iron and steel production declined more than 8 percent from 1998 to 2005 (American Iron and Steel Institute).
Adjusted Production Index: Petroleum and Coal Products (NAICS 324)
Adjusted Production Index: Agricultural Chemicals (NAICS 3253)
Next Steps: STEO Gas-weighted Industrial Production Index Is there a better metric or proxy for industrial energy (natural gas) consumption? Based on the changing composition of industrial natural gas consumption, how should the coefficients of the various subgroups be treated? Have the prominent industrial sub-sectors been identified? How can revisions to this index improve the efficiency and effectiveness of EIA’s short-term forecasting?