EIA-176 Instructions

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

EIA-176
ANNUAL REPORT OF NATURAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL GAS SUPPLY AND DISPOSITION
YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW
This report is mandatory under Title 15 U.S.C. §772(b). Failure to comply may result in criminal fines, civil penalties and other
sanctions as provided by Title 15 U.S.C. §797. Title 18 U.S.C. §1001 makes it a criminal offense for any person knowingly and
willingly to make to any Agency or Department of the United States any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements as to any
matter within its jurisdiction.
The Form EIA-176 must be completed by:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Interstate natural gas pipeline companies
Intrastate natural gas pipeline companies
Natural gas distribution companies
Underground natural gas storage operators
Synthetic natural gas plant operators
Field, well, or processing plant operators that deliver natural gas directly to consumers (including their own industrial
facilities) other than for lease or plant use or processing.
Field, well, or processing plant operators that transport gas to, across, or from a state border through field or gathering
facilities
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage operators, both peaking facilities and marine terminals
Producers of high-Btu renewable natural gas that inject into an interstate or intra-state pipeline, or who deliver to a
natural gas distributor.

You must complete a separate report for each state in which your company is engaged in one or more of the following
activities:
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•
•
•
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Gas (natural, commingled natural and supplemental gas, or LNG) transportation using respondent-operated facilities
other than field or gathering lines
Gas transportation to, from, or across a state border using respondent-operated field or gathering lines
Gas delivery directly to consumers using respondent-operated facilities other than field, well, or plant operators
delivering solely for lease and plant use or processing
Gas storage in respondent-operated underground storage reservoirs, or LNG storage facilities
Synthetic natural gas production in respondent-operated facilities

Each company subsidiary or affiliate meeting the filing requirements that operated separate systems within a state must file a
separate report. However, you can request approval to report for a state on a consolidated basis by calling EIA at 1-855-EIA4USA (1-855-342-4872). A state, for the purpose of this report, includes adjacent offshore Federal Domain areas.

PURPOSE
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form EIA-176, Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and
Disposition, collects data on natural, synthetic, and other supplemental gas supplies, disposition, and certain revenues by state.
The data appear in the EIA publications Monthly Energy Review, Natural Gas Annual, and Natural Gas Monthly.

RESPONSE DUE DATE
The Form EIA-176 is due March 1. If an extension is needed, call 1-855-EIA-4USA (1-855-342-4872).
EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

HOW TO FILE A RESPONSE
To facilitate the processing of data, the use of EIA forms is required. The form can be downloaded in XLS format on the EIA
website, which can be accessed from http://www.eia.gov/survey/#eia-176.
Respondents must use the EIA’s Secure File Transfer system to submit their data. With this Internet-based option, EIA uses
security protocols to protect the information against unauthorized access during transmission. EIA does not accept email, fax,
or paper forms.
Data Submission Method (see next page for step-by-step instructions)
By Secure File Transfer: https://signon.eia.doe.gov/upload/noticeoog.jsp

QUESTIONS
Please contact the EIA Survey Support Team using the following communication methods:
By email:
By phone:

eia4usa@eia.gov
1-855-EIA-4USA (1-855-342-4872) [Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM E.T.]

HOW TO USE EIA’S SECURE FILE TRANSFER
EIA is ensuring the security of your transactions by using the latest Internet security technology. The technology being used to
protect your data is encryption which is the scrambling of data into a code that is unreadable to anyone who does not have the
key that deciphers it. The secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) is a communications protocol designed to transfer this
encrypted information between computers over the internet. All information is protected by 128-bit encryption to maintain the
privacy and confidentiality of your data. The only thing you need to take advantage of strong encryption technology is a secure
browser, one that supports 128-bit encryption.
1.

Go to the EIA Secure File Transfer system located at https://signon.eia.doe.gov/upload/noticeoog.jsp

2.

Read the Agreement and then click the Accept button.

3.

Enter your name, company name, phone number and email address into the boxes provided. Note that the email
address is required so that we can send you a confirmation of the receipt of your data.

4.

Click on the Choose Files button to navigate to your saved Excel file submission. Select the file to upload and click on
the Open button.

5.

If you are ready to submit your file, click on the green Submit File(s) button. Please be patient, it may take a few
minutes to upload your file. Do not close your browser during this upload. A confirmation page will be displayed with
a Submission Successful banner and indicate the names of the files you have transferred, a confirmation number and
the date and time of the transfer.

SANCTIONS
The timely submission of Form EIA-176 by those required to report is mandatory under 15 USC 772(b), as amended. Failure to
respond may result in a civil penalty of not more than $12,531 each day for each violation. The government may bring a civil
action to prohibit reporting violations which may result in a temporary restraining order or a preliminary or permanent
injunction without bond. In such civil action, the court may also issue mandatory injunctions commanding any person to comply
with these reporting requirements.

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

REPORTING BURDEN
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 12 hours per response, including time for
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining data needed, and completing and reviewing
the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information including suggestions for reducing this burden to: Energy Information Administration, Statistical Methods and
Research, EI-21, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585; and to the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
Information reported on Form EIA-176 is considered public information and may be publicly released in company or individually
identifiable form.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
Complete only the parts and data elements that apply to your operations. Leave all other spaces blank. Don’t enter any data in
the shaded areas or spaces. You must report all information on a calendar-year basis. Volumes must refer to natural gas
physically in your possession (custody basis).
You don’t have to file a revised report unless actual or corrected data vary more than plus (+) or minus (-) 4% from the data you
previously reported.

PART 1: RESPONDENT IDENTIFICATION
Please provide up-to-date company information.
EIA ID number: Complete the 10-digit identification number assigned to your company. Companies operating in more than one
state have a unique number for operations in each state. If we haven’t assigned an ID number to you, contact us at 1-855-EIA4USA (1-855-342-4872).
Resubmission: Check the resubmission box only if you are filing a revised report.
Company name: Enter your company name.
Operations in (state): Enter the name of the state that the report covers. You must submit a separate report for each state in
which your company operates.
Contact information: Enter the company’s contact information.

PART 2: SUBMISSION INFORMATION
Submission - Refer to the “How to File a Response” section for more details or method for submitting data.

PART 3: COMPANY CHARACTERISTICS
A.

Type of operations (check all that apply). Check all of the boxes that describe your company’s gas operations. EIA
uses this information to provide aggregates of the data collected in the survey by type of company. The “Definitions”
section in these instructions describes natural gas operations.

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

B.

Vehicles powered by natural gas. Indicate whether your company fleet includes vehicles powered by alternative
fuels, along with the type of fuel these vehicles use. If your company fleet includes vehicles powered by natural gas,
enter the number of those vehicles that you have.

C.

Customer choice program. Indicate if your company actively allows residential and/or commercial customers,
regardless of size, to purchase fuel from an alternative supplier. If yes, enter the number of customers in your service
territory eligible for such programs at the end of the calendar year and the number participating at the end of the
year. The number of participants may not necessarily equal the number of transportation customers listed in Part 4,
Line 11, because the measurements were taken at different times.

D.

Sales/acquisitions. Indicate whether your company’s service territory changed because of a purchase or sale of any
system or part of a system. For instance, if a municipal system was acquired, write “yes,” and in the Comments box
write the name of the system and the transaction date.

E.

Distribution Territory. If you are a local distribution company, list all counties to which your company delivers natural
gas, even if you only deliver partially to a given county. Use the Comments box in Part 7A to list additional counties, if
necessary.

F.

LNG storage. If your company owns, operates, or uses LNG storage, write the name and zip code of each affiliated
storage facility. Please list all aboveground LNG storage facilities owned, operated, or providing service to your
company. An LNG facility means a pipeline facility that is used for liquefying natural gas or synthetic gas or
transferring, storing, or vaporizing liquefied natural gas, typically stored in large tanks. Use the Comments box in Part
7A to list additional facilities, if necessary.

PART 4: NATURAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL GAS SUPPLY FOR THE REPORT STATE
Report the total volumes of natural and supplemental gas physically produced or received and taken into company-operated
storage, company-operated transportation, or company-operated distribution facilities located in the report state. Report
volumes on a physical possession basis regardless of ownership.
1.0 If you are a producer, report production within the report state:
1.1 Natural gas: Report gross production, after lease separation, (including royalty and overriding royalty interest) taken
directly into your system at the wellhead, field, or tailgate of a processing plant, whether produced from wells
operated by your company or operated by others.
Report vented and flared volumes and extraction loss volumes on Line 18.4.
1.2 Synthetic natural gas (SNG) or renewable natural gas (RNG): Report the volume of synthetic or renewable natural
gas produced in the plant or plants your company operated. Synthetic natural gas, also referred to as substitute
natural gas, is a manufactured product, chemically similar in most respects to natural gas, resulting from the
conversion or reforming of coal or petroleum hydrocarbons that may easily be substituted for, or interchanged with,
pipeline- quality natural gas. Renewable natural gas consists mostly of methane and is chemically similar to
conventional natural gas. RNG can be produced by purifying biogas produced at landfills, wastewater treatment
facilities, and digesters.
2.0 If you are a storage operator, report operations within the report state: Report the total volume, regardless of
ownership, of underground storage withdrawals (2.1) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage withdrawals (2.2).
2.1 Underground storage withdrawals: Include a corresponding entry on Part 6 (disposition), most likely on Line 18.2, so
that the net value of your storage activity’s supply and disposition is zero.
2.2 Liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage withdrawals (regasification): LNG import and export marine terminals should
not report withdrawals of natural gas during the course of routine operations for handling imports and not held in
EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

storage for future use. The section of these instructions titled “LNG Marine Terminals Reporting” has further
guidance.
3.0 If you are an interstate pipeline company or other company receiving physical custody at state lines or at U.S. borders,
report receipts: Report the name of the company, the adjacent state or country from which you received the gas; the
means of transportation to deliver gas (by pipeline, vessel, or truck); and the volume of gas you received at the state line
or U.S. border. For liquefied natural gas (LNG) received by ship, rail, barge, or truck, consider the receiving terminal as a
point on the state line or U.S. border, report the name of the state or country from which the LNG was shipped, and
describe the transaction in a footnote on Part 7.
4.0 If you are a distributor, report receipts at city gates within the report state: Report gas volumes received at the city gate
for delivery to end-use customers.
4.1 Report the total volume of purchased gas received in your distribution service area during the year: Volumes
should represent all gas you physically received for sale and delivery to consumers, whether purchased from pipeline
companies, marketers, brokers, producers, or other sources, or exchange gas, or company-owned gas received from
storage not stored in company-owned storage facilities. Pipeline companies are not required to report Citygate
purchases. Respondents with a contiguous distribution service area extending across states lines should report
purchased gas information by state on the reports for the states in which you received the gas.
4.2 Report volumes of gas received into your service territory for delivery on behalf of third parties or marketers:
Report receipts of gas in your distribution service area for delivery to your end-use transportation customers.
5.0 Report any other receipts of natural gas within the report state: Report the volume of other receipts within the report
state if the gas was delivered to a point on your company’s system and not previously reported in questions 1.0 through
4.0 above. Include volumes of natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and synthetic natural gas.
6.0 Supplemental gaseous fuel supplies (specify type): Report sources of supplemental gas supply received or introduced into
your system and the volumes of each. Supplemental gas includes any gaseous substance introduced into or commingled
with natural gas that increases the volume available for disposition. Such substances include, but are not limited to,
propane-air, refinery gas, coke oven gas, still gas, manufactured gas, biomass gas, or air or inerts added for Btu
stabilization.

PART 5: LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) STORAGE INVENTORY
7.0 Inventory and capacity of liquefied natural gas in storage as of December 31 of report year: Report inventory and
capacity of LNG facilities (8.1) and marine terminal facilities (8.2) as of December 31 of the report year. Capacity refers to
the Maximum Daily Sendout Capacity of the LNG facility and should be reported in million cubic feet per day.

PART 6: NATURAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL GAS DISPOSITION FOR THE REPORT STATE
In Part 6, report the total volumes of and the revenue (including taxes) from natural and supplemental gas delivered to others,
consumed, or stored in company-operated facilities or otherwise disposed of within the state or delivered to bordering states or
foreign countries.
The type of disposition (delivered, consumed, stored, etc.) is determined by the physical possession of the gas within your
company-operated production, transportation, storage, or distribution facilities at the point of disposition.

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

Report revenue information only for volumes sold and delivered directly to the end-use customers. Revenues should be gross
revenues, including any and all demand charges, commodity charges, taxes, surcharges, adjustments, or other charges billed for
gas delivered. You must include any gains or losses associated with financial hedges. Check the F box and indicate by footnote if
you did not include taxes in your revenue figures. Round all revenue values to the nearest whole number of dollars.
The average number of consumers during the year, for the purpose of this report, is the sum of the number of consumers
attached to your system at the end of each month divided by twelve.
Count each dwelling, building, plant, establishment, or location as a separate consumer for this report, whether or not centrally
billed and whether or not provided with more than one type of service, (e.g., firm and interruptible service).
Classify your consumers by category using the definitions provided below. Classify multiple-use or combination consumers (such
as apartment buildings with commercial establishments, retail stores with attached dwellings, or industrial plants with on-site
office space or buildings served from a common meter) based on the predominate volumetric usage. If certain categories (e.g.
residential or commercial) are carried on a combined basis in your accounts, provide your best estimate of the information for
each category separately. If you have no reasonable basis for categorizing the estimates, enter the information as “Other,”
check the F box, and describe it in a footnote in Part 7.
Report deliveries directly to end-use consumers are to be reported based on the following definitions:
Residential: An energy-consuming sector that consists of living quarters for private households. Common uses of energy
associated with this sector include space heating, water heating, and cooking. The residential sector includes mobile homes and
apartment buildings (whether privately owned or publicly subsidized) and excludes institutional living quarters.
Commercial: An energy-consuming sector that consists of service- providing facilities and equipment of businesses; federal,
state, and local governments; and other private and public organizations, such as religious, social, or fraternal groups. The
commercial sector includes institutional living quarters. Common uses of energy associated with this sector include space
heating, water heating, cooking, and running a wide variety of equipment. This sector includes generators that produce
electricity and/or useful thermal output primarily to support the activities of the above-mentioned commercial establishments.
Do not include vehicle fuel and company use in the commercial sector.
Industrial: An energy-consuming sector that consists of all facilities and equipment used for producing, processing, or
assembling goods. The industrial sector encompasses the following types of activity: manufacturing (North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) codes 31-33); agriculture, forestry, and fishing and hunting (NAICS 11); mining, including oil and
gas extraction (NAICS 21); and construction (NAICS 23). Overall energy use in this sector is largely for process heat and powering
machinery, with lesser amounts used for facility heating. Natural gas is also used as raw material inputs to manufactured
products. Note: This sector may include generators that produce electricity and/or useful thermal output primarily to support
the above-mentioned industrial activities, provided they are not indicated as NAICS code 22 facilities. NAICS code 22 facilities
must be reported in the electric sector.
Electric power: An energy-consuming sector that consists of electricity-only plants and combined heat and power (CHP) plants,
whose primary business is to sell electricity, or electricity and heat, to the public – i.e., NAICS 22 plants. Includes volumes
consumed in company-owned generation facilities. Interdepartmental volumes used to fuel company-owned generation
facilities should be classified as electric power.
Vehicle fuel: Natural gas, either compressed (CNG) or liquefied (LNG), used to power motor vehicles. Interdepartmental
volumes used to fuel company-owned fleets should be classified as company use and reported on Line 12.5. Please exclude fuel
for company- owned fleets from Lines 10.5 and 11.5. You can report CNG in thousand cubic feet (Mcf) or dekatherm conversion
units.
Other (not included in above categories)/Specify type: Use this category only for service you provided directly to consumers
for which you are uncertain of the correct category (residential, commercial, industrial, electric power, and vehicle fuel). Use
the space provided to specify the type of delivery you are reporting here.
EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

8.0 Heat content of gas delivered to consumers (Btu/cf): Compute the average annual heat content (Btu) by summing the
total Btu delivered during the report year (volume delivered directly to consumers multiplied by average Btu content per
unit volume) and dividing by the total volume delivered directly to consumers during that year. The value for heat content
is expected to be in the range of 900 to 1,200 Btu/cf.
If you billed on a volumetric basis and your company did not measure the Btu content, contact your supplier for the
information.
9.0 Deliveries of natural gas that you own to end-use consumers within the report state: Report the average number of
consumers served directly from your facilities during the year, the volumes sold and delivered to those consumers, and the
revenues received in the appropriate category. Include deliveries directly to your company- owned commercial, industrial,
or electric power facilities.

How to Report “Type of Consumer” on Form EIA-176
Master-metered apartments
Mobile homes
Multi-family dwellings, individually metered
Single-family dwellings
Churches and hospitals
Government (local, state and federal) agencies
Hotels
Non-manufacturing military installations
Restaurants
Retail stores
Schools and universities
Wholesale stores
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries
Mining (including oil and gas extraction)
Manufacturing
Regulated electric utilities
Nonregulated electricity generators

Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Commercial
Industrial
Industrial
Industrial
Electric Power
Electric Power

The size of an operation does not affect consumer classification:
1. Classify large commercial operations as commercial, not industrial.
2. Classify small industrial operations as industrial, not commercial.
10.0 Deliveries of natural gas that you do not own to end-use consumers within the report state: Report the average number
of consumers served directly from your facilities, volumes delivered to, and revenues received for transportation of
natural gas to those consumers for each end-use consumer category. Pipeline companies are not required to provide
revenue data for deliveries of gas that they do not own. If your company supplies LNG and/or CNG to retail outlets, report
these volumes on line 11.5 as vehicle fuel.
11.0 Natural gas consumed in your operations: Report the volume of gas consumed as fuel in your company's operations:
Space heat of your own facilities (12.1), new pipeline fill (12.2), pipeline distribution or storage compressor use (12.3), gas
used for vaporization, liquefaction, and LNG fuel (12.4), vehicle fuel used in your company-owned fleet (12.5), and other
(specify type) (12.6) within the report state. Volume can represent your best estimate. Classify interdepartmental volumes
used to fuel company-owned generation facilities as electric power.

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

12.0 If you are a storage operator, report operations within the state: Report the total volume added, regardless of
ownership, to underground storage (including new fields) (13.1) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage additions (13.2)
your company operated within the report state.
For the volume you reported on Line 13.1, include a corresponding entry on Part 4 (supply), most likely on Line 5.0, so that
the net value of your storage activity’s supply and disposition is zero.
For Line 13.2 LNG storage injections, LNG import and export marine terminals should not report injections of LNG during
the course of routine operations for handling imports nor held in storage for future use.
The guide for LNG marine terminals has further guidance.
13.0 If you are an interstate pipeline company or other company moving gas across or to state lines or U.S. borders, report
volumes transported: Report the name of the company, the adjacent state or country to which you delivered gas, the
means of transportation used to deliver gas (by pipeline, vessel, or truck), and the volume of gas you delivered at the state
line or U.S. border. For liquefied natural gas sales shipped by ship, truck, rail, or barge, consider the loading terminal as a
point on the state line or U.S. border. Report the name of the state or country where you deliver LNG and describe the
transaction in a footnote in Part 7.
14.0 If you are a producer, report lease use: Report the total volume of gas you used in your company’s well, field, and lease
operations.
15.0 Returned to oil or gas reservoirs, used for repressuring, reinjection (for producers only): Report the volume of gas
delivered directly from your system to oil or gas fields located within the report state for repressuring, pressure
maintenance, and cycling operations.
16.0 Losses from leaks, damage, accidents, migration, and blow down within the report state: Report known loss volumes as
a result of leaks, damage, accidents, migration and blow down within the report state where these events took place.
Indicate known and estimated losses from leaks encountered as a natural consequence of distribution activities. Volume
can be your best estimate.
17.0 Other disposition within report state (not included above): Report any disposition of gas not included in lines 10.1
through 17.0. Report disposition to distribution companies (18.1), other pipelines (18.2), storage operators (18.3), and
other (specify type) (18.4) within the report state. Provide estimates of the volume involved, if not measured. If you need
additional space, continue on Part 7.
18.0 Difference between Supply (+) or Disposition (-) (Part 4 line 7.0 and Part 6 line 19.0): A positive entry indicates supply in
excess of accounted-for disposition and a negative entry (shown by a minus sign preceding the entry) indicates accountedfor disposition in excess of supply reported.

PART 7: FOOTNOTES
Use the Part 7 footnotes sheet to explain the data you reported on Parts 1 through 6. The footnotes will become a permanent
part of your submission.

LNG MARINE TERMINALS REPORTING
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals should report the origin of natural gas imported, along with its ultimate destination,
whether it is delivered to another pipeline, held in inventory, exported to a foreign country, or consumed during operations.
LNG terminals may report volumes on Lines 3.0 (imports), 5.0 (other receipts), 7.0 (total supply), 8.0 (inventory as of December
31 of the report year), 12.0 (volumes consumed in operations), 14.0 (exports to other countries or disposition to interstate

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

pipelines), 18.0 (deliveries within the report state), 19.0 (total disposition), and 20.0 (difference between supply and
disposition). Please account for prior year inventory (Line 8.0 of the prior year’s report) on Line 5.0 of the current year’s report.
Figure 1. shows where you should report volumes on the Form EIA- 176.

Reported LNG Inventory: Current-year inventory reported on Line 8.0 should equal, or be very close to, the difference between
the supply and disposition reported on Line 20.0.

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

DEFINITIONS
Alternative Fuel: For transportation applications, alternative fuels include the following:
• compressed natural gas
• gasoline-electric hybrid
• diesel-electric hybrid
• methanol
• denatured ethanol, and other alcohols
• fuel mixtures containing 85 percent or more by volume of methanol, denatured ethanol, and other alcohols with
gasoline or other fuels
• natural gas
• liquefied petroleum gas (propane)
• hydrogen
• coal-derived liquid fuels
• fuels (other than alcohol) derived from biological materials (biofuels such as soy diesel fuel)
• electricity (including electricity from solar energy) and
"... any other fuel the Secretary determines, by rule, is substantially not petroleum and would yield substantial energy
security benefits and substantial environmental benefits." The term "alternative fuel" does not include alcohol or other
blended portions of primarily petroleum-based fuels used as oxygenates or extenders, i.e., MTBE, ETBE, other ethers, and
the 10-percent ethanol portion of gasohol.
Consumer: Any individually-metered dwelling, building, establishment, or location that uses natural gas, synthetic natural gas,
or mixtures of natural and supplemental gas for feedstock or as fuel for any purpose other than in oil or gas lease operations;
natural gas treating or processing plants; or pipeline, distribution, or storage compressors.
Customer Choice: The right of customers to purchase energy from a supplier other than their traditional suppliers or from
more than one seller in the retail market.
Delivered: The physical transfer of natural, synthetic, or supplemental gas from facilities operated by the responding company
to facilities operated by others or to consumers.
Disposition: The removal of natural, synthetic, or supplemental gas (or any components or gaseous mixtures contained in them)
from the responding company's facilities within the report state by any means or for any purpose, including the transportation
of such gas out of the report state.
Dry Natural Gas: Natural gas that remains after: 1) the liquefiable hydrocarbon portion has been removed from the gas stream
(i.e., gas after lease, field, or plant separation); and 2) any volumes of nonhydrocarbon gases have been removed where they
occur in sufficient quantity to render the gas unmarketable.
Dry natural gas is also known as consumer-grade natural gas. The measurement unit is cubic feet at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and
14.73 pounds per square inch absolute.
Gatherer: A company primarily engaged in gathering natural gas from well or field lines for delivery, for a fee, to a natural gas
processing plant or central point. Gathering companies may also provide compression, dehydration, or treating services.
Lease Operations: Any well, lease, or field operations related to exploring or producing natural gas before delivery for
processing or transportation out of the field. Gas used in lease operations includes drilling operations, heaters, dehydrators,
field compressors, and net use for gas lift.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG): Natural gas (primarily methane) that has been liquefied by reducing its temperature to –260º
Fahrenheit at atmospheric pressure.

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20585

Form Approved
OMB No. 1905-0175
Expiration Date: 06/30/2024
Burden: 12.0 hours

Marine Terminal: Point of import or export for tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Maximum Daily Sendout Capacity: Maximum daily rate at which liquefied natural gas can be regassified and sent out from an
LNG facility.
Mcf: 1,000 cubic feet.
Natural Gas: A gaseous mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, the primary one being methane. Dry Natural Gas and Wet Natural
Gas definitions provide more detailed information.
Offshore: The geographic area that lies seaward of the coastline. In general, the coastline is the line of ordinary low water along
with that portion of the coast that is in direct contact with the open sea or the line marking the seaward limit of inland water. If
a state agency uses a different basis for classifying onshore and offshore areas use the state classification (e.g., Cook Inlet in
Alaska is classified as offshore; for Louisiana, the coastline is defined as the Chapman Line, as modified by subsequent
adjudication).
Operator: The company responsible for the management and day- to-day operations of natural gas production, gathering,
treating, processing, transportation, storage, distribution facilities, or a synthetic natural gas plant.
Pipeline: A continuous pipe conduit, complete with equipment such as valves, compressor stations, communication systems,
and meters for transporting natural or supplemental gas from one point to another, usually from a point on or beyond the
producing field or processing plant to another pipeline or to points of use. Also refers to a company operating such facilities.
Producer: A company engaged in the production and sale of natural gas from gas or oil wells with delivery generally at or near
the wellhead, the field, or the tailgate of a gas processing plant. For the purpose of company classification, a company primarily
engaged in the exploration, development, or production of oil and natural gas.
Received: Gas physically transferred into the responding company’s transportation, storage, or distribution facilities.
Renewable Natural Gas: A gaseous substance consisting mostly of methane, and chemically similar to conventional natural gas.
Renewable natural gas can be produced by purifying biogas produced at landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and digesters.
Supplemental Gas: Any gaseous substance introduced into or commingled with natural gas that increases the volume available
for disposition. Such substances include, but are not limited to, propane- air, refinery gas, coke oven gas, still gas, manufactured
gas, biomass gas, or air or inerts added for Btu stabilization.
Supply: Natural, synthetic, and supplemental gas produced within, introduced into, or received into facilities operated by the
responding company within the report state for disposition during the report year.
Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG): A manufactured product, chemically similar in most respects to natural gas, resulting from the
conversion or reforming of hydrocarbons that may easily be substituted for or interchanged with pipeline-quality natural gas.
Also referred to as "substitute natural gas."
Underground Storage: The storage of natural gas in underground reservoirs at a different location from where it was produced.
Wet Natural Gas: A mixture of hydrocarbon compounds and small quantities of various nonhydrocarbons existing in the
gaseous phase or in solution with crude oil in porous rock formations at reservoir conditions. The principal hydrocarbons
normally contained in the mixture are methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane. Typical nonhydrocarbon gases that may
be present in reservoir natural gas are water vapor, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen and trace amounts of helium.
Under reservoir conditions, natural gas and its associated liquefiable portions occur either in a single gaseous phase in the
reservoir or in a solution with crude oil and are not distinguishable at the time as separate substances. The Securities and
Exchange Commission and the Financial Accounting Standards Board refer to this product as natural gas.

EIA-176 Annual Report of Natural and Supplemental Gas Supply and Disposition