{
  "id": 6806950,
  "title": "Permian Gas Has Been Worth Less Than Nothing for 118 Days This Year",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/permian-gas-has-been-worth-less-than-nothing-for-118-days-this-year-6806950",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-10T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Finance",
    "slug": "yahoo-finance",
    "url": "https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/permian-gas-worth-less-nothing-150000025.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Permian Basin gas has been trading below zero for 118 of the first 131 days in 2025, indicating that producers are paying someone to take the gas off their hands. This situation is the result of several interconnected issues in West Texas, which have been ongoing for years. The oil industry in the region has been experiencing restraint, with fewer drilling operations and tighter budgets, but this is not the case for natural gas producers. While WTI crude averaged $65 a barrel in 2025 and roughly $84 through July of this year, it has been well above the $63 to $69 breakeven point reported by Midland and Delaware basin operators. As a result, operators have continued to drill, only to produce more gas than there is demand for. The EIA forecasts that Permian gas production will average 29.2 billion cubic feet per day this year, which is a record for the region. However, there isn't enough pipeline to transport all of it. The pricing hub for Permian gas, Waha, has traded negative for a record number of days this year, indicating that producers are paying to take the gas off their hands. This situation is not due to a lack of production, but rather that one of the two products (natural gas) is spending much of the year worth less than nothing. There are efforts being made to address this issue, such as the expansion of the Bahia NGL pipeline and the development of behind-the-meter gas capacity in Texas. Data centers are now becoming the first buyers of natural gas, as they provide a direct demand for the gas produced in the region.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "OilPrice",
        "title": "Permian Gas Has Been Worth Less Than Nothing for 118 Days This Year",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/permian-gas-has-been-worth-less-than-nothing-for-118-days-this-year",
        "published": "2026-09-10T15:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}