**5. Coronavirus as an additional external factor**

The compiled data set by U.S. for Natural Gas Consumption by End Use clearly shows the impact of the pandemic on natural gas withdrawals [8]. The **Figure 4** definitively shows the growth in natural gas consumption in the U.S.

**Figure 3.**

*Schlumberger limited (SLB). NYSE - Nasdaq real time Price. Currency in USD.*

**Figure 4.** *U.S. natural gas consumption by end use.*

*Pandemic Problems Related to Forecasting Natural Gas Consumption DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99276*

**Figure 5.** *U.S. natural gas consumption.*

**Figure 5** shows the impact of coronavirus on natural gas consumption. The trend of aggregate natural gas consumption in the U.S. has been slowed by a pandemic [9].

External factors, such as weather conditions [10], fuel availability, and price [11], influence the development of a forecast of natural gas consumption by consumers. In addition, a new factor affecting gas consumption dynamics is the economy, which depends on the number of cases of COVID-19. The first cases in North America were reported in the United States in January 2020 [12]. Forecasting assumes general economic stability and no significant changes in the industry or market.

The forecast should be developed on historical data that provides a guarantee of stability [13]. However, there is no guarantee that past conditions will hold in the future. Unexpected external events, e.g., the emergence of a pandemic, undermine assumptions and render the forecast invalid. It is impossible to take into account completely the number of future illnesses and the restrictions introduced by the government. Throughout the United States, officials are enacting a number of restrictions on distancing from the public. Ordinances vary by state, county, and even city. Restrictions are escalating in many areas as cases are increasing across the country [14].
