DOE EIA Weekly Gas Storage Report
Here is this weeks’ EIA natural gas storage report. Working gas in storage was 2,493 Bcf as of Friday, March 18, 2016, according to EIA estimates. This represents a net increase of 15 Bcf from the previous week. Stocks were 1,017 Bcf higher than last year at this time and 846 Bcf above the five-year average of 1,647 Bcf. At 2,493 Bcf, total working gas is above the five-year historical range.
Estimated withdrawal now became an early inject Estimated of 18 Bcf
Vs
Actual Injection 15 Bcf
The US will likely enter injection season with a titanic 1 Tcf more gas remaining in storage than this time last year. A consensus of analysts surveyed by Platts expects the US Energy Information Administration will estimate an injection of gas into storage between 18 Bcf and 22 Bcf for the reporting week that ended March 18. An injection within expectations would compare with the 4 Bcf withdrawal reported at this time in 2015 and also more than the 24 Bcf five-year average withdrawal, according to EIA data. The wider range of analysts’ expectations for this week called for an injection of 14 Bcf to 25 Bcf. This marks the first net injection of the year and the de facto end of heating season. “We might get another small withdrawal with cold hitting the Midwest and the large market of Chicago coming up, but for all intents and purposes the winter is over,” said storage analyst Stephen Schork in an interview Wednesday morning.