Dry gas (C1-C2) is a natural gas stream composed predominantly of methane (C1) and ethane (C2), with minimal quantities of heavier hydrocarbons (C3+), water vapor, and liquids. It is termed 'dry' because it contains little to no natural gas liquids (NGLs) and does not yield significant liquid condensate at surface conditions. Dry gas is produced directly from certain gas reservoirs, or it is the residual gas remaining after the extraction of NGLs from a wet gas stream in a gas processing plant. It is primarily used as a fuel gas for power generation, industrial heating, and residential energy, and as a petrochemical feedstock—particularly ethane, which is a key feedstock for ethylene production via steam cracking.
How About the Price?
Key Influence Events
Data source: UN Comtrade monthly trade statistics (https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/M/HS?period=202606&cmdCode=290110&partnerCode=0&flowCode=X&includeDesc=true) | Last updated: 2026-09-24
Price Trajectory, latest 12 months (2025-07 to 2026-06)
The monthly customs export unit value for HS 290110 moved from USD 922/ton in 2025-07 to USD 923/ton in 2026-06 (+0.1% across the window). The window high was USD 923/ton in 2026-06 and the low USD 683/ton in 2025-12. Three-month averages put the latest quarter +13.1% against the previous one, which is classified here as bullish.
The same panel reported USD 979.7 million of export value on 1,203,476 tonnes over the twelve months, an average of 100,290 tonnes a month. These are customs returns for the stated HS heading, so they capture the traded mix of that heading rather than a single quoted grade.
Supply-side factors
- Fixed reporting panel of 14 economies: AUS, CAN, CZE, DNK, DEU, HUN, IRL, MYS, NLD, POL, PRT, IND, SWE, GBR. The panel is constant in every month of the window, so month-to-month movement is not a composition effect.
- Monthly unit value range over the window: USD 683 to USD 923/ton.
- Latest month, 2026-06: USD 923/ton, +13.5% against the previous month, on 111,935 tonnes.
Demand-side factors
- European LNG imports surged over 60% YoY in 2022 due to lost Russian pipeline supply, driving strong US export demand.
- Russian gas export curtailments drove European gas prices to record highs, stimulating global LNG trade.
- Winter demand peaks in early 2021 and 2022 increased US dry gas demand regionally and internationally.
Related market pages on this site: Ethylene, Propane, Mixed C4 market analysis.
Basis: these are customs unit values for the stated HS heading, not quoted spot, contract or assessed prices, and no paid price assessment is used or redistributed on this page. Every figure can be re-checked at the API links listed at the end of this page. Coverage note: HS 290110 covers saturated acyclic hydrocarbons as a group, so a C1-C2 dry gas stream sits inside a heading that also carries propane and butanes in pure form.
Top Countries Production Capacity
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methane (C1) content | 85 – 98 | mol % | Pipeline / Sales Gas |
| Ethane (C2) content | 1 – 10 | mol % | Pipeline / Sales Gas |
| Propane (C3) and heavier | < 3 | mol % | Pipeline Quality |
| Nitrogen (N2) | < 3 | mol % | Pipeline Quality |
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) | < 2 | mol % | Pipeline Quality |
| Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) | < 4 (often < 0.25) | ppmv | Sweet Gas / Pipeline Quality |
| Total sulfur | < 20 | mg/m³ | Pipeline Quality |
| Water content (dew point) | < 7 (at pipeline pressure) | lb/MMscf (or –10 °C dew point) | Pipeline Quality |
| Gross heating value (HHV) | 950 – 1,050 | BTU/scf | Sales Gas |
| Wobbe Index | 1,310 – 1,390 | BTU/scf | Interchangeability Grade |
| Hydrocarbon dew point | < –10 | °C (at delivery pressure) | Pipeline Quality |
| Mercury | < 0.01 | µg/m³ | LNG Feedstock Grade |
| Oxygen (O2) | < 0.1 | mol % | Pipeline Quality |
Data Sources
Price, volume and capacity figures on this page are computed from the public sources listed below; no subscription assessment data is used or redistributed.
- UN Comtrade monthly public trade statistics — HS 290110, exports, by month (2025-07 to 2026-06): 2025-07, 2025-08, 2025-09, 2025-10, 2025-11, 2025-12, 2026-01, 2026-02, 2026-03, 2026-04, 2026-05, 2026-06
- Fixed reporting panel for this series: AUS, CAN, CZE, DNK, DEU, HUN, IRL, MYS, NLD, POL, PRT, IND, SWE, GBR. The exact API calls are the per-month links above.
- Capacity reference: https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| ExxonMobil | Spring, Texas, USA | |
| Chevron | San Ramon, California, USA | |
| BP | London, United Kingdom | |
| TotalEnergies | Courbevoie, France | |
| ConocoPhillips | Houston, Texas, USA | |
| Saudi Aramco | Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | Fadhili, Jafurah |
| Energy Transfer | Dallas, Texas, USA | Mont Belvieu TX |
| Enterprise Products | Houston, Texas, USA | Mentone TX, Midland Basin TX |
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