Eagle Ford midstream companies looking to prosper as natural gas exports overtake imports over the next 16 months.

Related: First Eagle Ford Crude Ships to Europe

In its latest, Short Term Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that in 2017, natural gas exports will surpass imports for the first time since 1955. With hundreds of miles of natural gas pipelines heading from the Eagle Ford and Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast, the liquefied natural gas industry is poised to deliver the majority of those exports.

With the current forecast for natural gas, the San Antonio Biz Journal recently highlighted five Eagle Ford companies that are positioned to take advantage of these markets in 2016.

1. Howard Energy Partners: With acreage in Webb County, Howard plans to build a 200-mile pipeline to deliver 600 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to Mexico
2. Lewis Energy: A top producer with positions inLa Salle, Webb and Dimmit Counties.
3. Energy Transfer Partners: ETP already has natural gas export capabilities in Webb County and the Rio Grande Valley.
4. Sanchez Energy: With tens of thousands of acres in the natural gas-rich lands of La Salle, Dimmit and Webb Counties, Sanchez entered a joint venture worth$115 million to bridge connections to Mexico.
5. Flint Hills Resources: Has petitioned the federal government to ship LNG oversees.

Read more at www.eia.gov