HOUSTON, July 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. dry natural gas production this year is forecast to surpass the previous record set in 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Thursday.

Dry natural gas production allows for less processing due to lower to nonexistent level of water and no additional hydrocarbons.

EIA forecast that U.S. natural gas production, consumption, and exports will grow through 2019. U.S. dry natural gas production is forecast to increase by 11 percent in 2018 and average 81.3 billion cubic feet (about 2.30 billion cubic meters) per day for the year, surpassing the previous record set in 2015. Natural gas production is expected to continue increasing in 2019, averaging 84.5 billion cubic feet (about 2.39 billion cubic meters) per day.

Natural gas consumption is forecast in EIA' s Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) to increase by 7 percent in 2018, averaging 79.7 billion cubic feet (about 2.26 billion cubic meters) per day for the year, then decrease slightly in 2019.

EIA expected higher annual natural gas consumption in 2018 mainly because relatively cold weather earlier this year led to strong residential and commercial heating demand, and because warmer forecast temperatures are projected to lead to greater use of natural gas in the electric power sector this summer.

The United States became a net exporter of natural gas in 2017 on an annual basis for the first time in 60 years, averaging 0.3 billion cubic feet (about 8.50 million cubic meters) per day. EIA expected exports of both pipeline and liquefied natural gas to continue to increase while imports-almost all of which are pipeline imports from Canada-remain steady.

As a result, net natural gas exports are forecast to average 2.0 billion cubic feet (about 56.63 million cubic meters) per day in 2018 and 5.5 billion cubic feet (about 155.74 million cubic meters) per day in 2019.