The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a weekly injection of 44 billion cubic feet (Bcf) into Lower 48 natural gas storage inventories for the week ending September 11, 2026 (Link). Total inventories now stand at 3,298 Bcf, 122 Bcf (3.6%) below year-ago levels and 118 Bcf (3.7%) above the 2021-2025 average for the same week.
The EIA reported a 44-Bcf build for the week ended September 11, marking the third straight week of increasing builds. However, despite the gradual acceleration in storage growth, inventories continue to lose ground to historical benchmarks. Today’s build came in much lower than the five-year average for the same week and the corresponding period in 2025, which saw injections of 74 and 87 Bcf, respectively. Inventories were as much as 198 Bcf ahead of the five-year average as of August 7, and that surplus has now eroded to 118 Bcf. Meanwhile, stocks have fallen to a 122-Bcf deficit to 2025, the widest year-over-year deficit since August 2025.
