The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a weekly injection of 80 billion cubic feet (Bcf) into Lower 48 natural gas storage inventories for the week ending October 23, 2026 (Link). Total inventories now stand at 3,724 Bcf, 147 Bcf (3.8%) below year-ago levels and 38 Bcf (1.0%) above the 2021-2025 average for the same week.
For the first time since early August, the weekly build came in stronger than the five-year average, although only modestly. The 80-Bcf storage build announced this morning by the EIA broke a streak of 10 consecutive weeks that saw inventories growing at a slower-than-average pace. Today’s number came in 3 Bcf higher than the five-year average and 5 Bcf above the injection for the same week in 2025. While ending the recent streak, the data does not substantially change the position of storage inventories entering the final weeks of the injection season.
