Natural Gas Storage: +85 Bcf
Storage build comes in slightly below expectations.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a weekly injection of 85 billion cubic feet (Bcf) into Lower 48 natural gas storage inventories for the week ending May 8, 2026 (Link). Total inventories now stand at 2,290 Bcf, 51 Bcf (2.3%) above year-ago levels and 140 Bcf (6.5%) above the 2021-2025 average for the same week.
This morning’s EIA report showed a net build of 85 Bcf into U.S. natural gas inventories. The build was virtually in line with the five-year average for the same week, while falling well shy of the 109-Bcf injection reported for the same week in 2025. As a result, the surplus to the five-year average increased by 1 Bcf, while stocks lost 24 Bcf compared to year-ago levels and are now hanging onto a narrowing surplus. The storage cushion remains most robust in the Mountain and Pacific Regions, with all other areas sitting very close to historical benchmarks.
