Jan 7 (Reuters) - Expand Energy ( EXE ), the biggest

U.S. natural gas producer, remains on track to boost output to

around 7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2025, CEO Nick

Dell'Osso said at the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech &

Utilities Conference on Tuesday.

With the weather turning extremely cold this week and gas

demand and prices rising, Dell'Osso said he has received a lot

of questions about whether Expand would boost output faster than

previously projected.

"The answer is no. Nothing has changed for us," Dell'Osso

said. "You don't want to grow for a season, you want to grow for

something that is durable over several years."

After gas prices collapsed in the first half of 2024,

several U.S. energy firms reduced gas output. Those reductions

caused annual production in 2024 to decline for the first time

since the COVID-19 pandemic cut demand for the fuel in 2020.

"So now, we can utilize some of that capacity we (deferred)

in 2024 ... to offset declines," Dell'Osso said. "We can level

out our production (at) a good level in the range of 7 bcfd."

Expand, which was formed by the merger of Chesapeake Energy

and Southwestern Energy, said it produced about 6.75 bcfd of gas

equivalent in the third quarter of 2024.

Shares of Expand were trading around $103.30, their highest

since November 2022.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projected total

U.S. gas output would rise to 103.7 bcfd in 2025 after declining

to 103.2 bcfd in 2024 from a record 103.8 bcfd in 2023.

One billion cubic feet of gas can supply about 5 million

U.S. homes for a day.

After average gas prices at the U.S. Henry Hub benchmark

in Louisiana collapsed to a four-year low of

around $2.19 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) in 2024,

energy analysts forecast prices would rise to a three-year high

of $3.44 in 2025.

Dell'Osso said U.S. demand for gas for export was on track

to rise by around 5.6 bcfd by the end of 2026 as new liquefied

natural gas (LNG) export plants enter service.

Plants under construction include Venture Global LNG's

Plaquemines in Louisiana, Cheniere Energy's Corpus

Christi expansion in Texas and Exxon Mobil/QatarEnergy's

Golden Pass in Texas.

The U.S. currently exports about 13% of the gas it produces

as LNG. That percentage will likely grow in coming years as more

export plants enter service.

Dell'Osso said he wants to sell more gas to customers at

international prices, noting 15%-20% of total sales would be a

good target. But with only one international supply deal and a

lot of gas to sell after the merger, he said it would likely

take a long time before Expand's international sales reach that

level.