US manufacturing continued to expand in August, with factory production remaining strong and Texas activity accelerating, providing a supportive backdrop for industrial natural gas demand heading into fall.

Manufacturing expanded for the eighth straight month, while factory production stayed firm and industrial gas demand held steady. The persistence of growth through late summer matters for natural gas markets because manufacturing is a key source of industrial gas use, and activity levels at factories can influence near-term consumption even as the season changes. Texas, a major industrial center and energy state, showed faster activity, adding another sign that demand from the sector is not easing abruptly.

The article was written by Jodi Shafto, who joined NGI as a Senior Natural Gas Reporter in October 2023. Before that, she was a business news reporter for South Carolina's largest daily newspaper, The Post and Courier, and a Senior Energy Markets Reporter at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Based in Charleston, Shafto has covered US energy markets since 2005 as a reporter, editor and analyst. A New Jersey native, she holds a BS in Journalism from Bowling Green State University.