Report examines natural gas storage trends
The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report maintains natural gas stored this year increased because of near-record injection activity during the natural gas injection, or refill, season.
The analysis determined the storage went from 1,155 billion cubic feet (Bcf) at the beginning of April to 3,724 Bcf at the end of October, adding inventories as of Oct. 31 were 37 Bcf higher than the previous five-year end-of-October average.
The end of the natural gas storage injection season is traditionally defined as Oct. 31, with injections often occurring in November. Working natural gas stocks ended the previous heating season at 1,155 Bcf on March 31, 2019—representing the second-lowest level for that time of year since 2004.
From April 1 through Oct. 31, 2019, more than 2,569 Bcf of natural gas was placed into storage in the Lower 48 states, determining the volume was the second-highest net injected volume for the injection season, falling short of the record 2,727 Bcf injected during the 2014 injection season.
Five years ago, an unusually cold winter left natural gas inventories in the Lower 48 states at 837 Bcf, officials said, representing the lowest level for that time of year since 2003.
