Natural gas and oil production from the nation's seven most prolific onshore unconventional plays will increase by an estimated 1.3% in December compared to November, marking the 12th consecutive month of upswing, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Natural gas production out of the Big Seven plays -- the Anadarko, Appalachian and Permian basins, and the Bakken, Eagle Ford, Haynesville and Niobrara formations -- is forecast to reach an estimated total of 61.71 Bcf/d in December, compared to 60.93 Bcf/d in November, according to EIA's latest Drilling Productivity Report (DPR), which was released Monday.

Gas production from the plays, which was on a downward trend throughout 2016, returned to the upside in January and has been rising ever since, according to EIA. Total gas production out of the Big Seven in December 2016 was 47.42 Bcf/d.

EIA expects gas production to be higher in all seven plays in December month/month, with the Appalachian Basin, as usual, leading the way with 26.01 Bcf/d, compared to 25.67 Bcf/d in November.

EIA also expects total oil production in the seven plays to increase to an estimated 6.17 million b/d in December, compared to 6.09 million b/d in November, an increase of 80,000 b/d.