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EIA reports 67 Bcf weekly gas-storage build, with stocks above the five-year average

Lower 48 working gas reached 3,567 Bcf for the October 9 week. The estimate is below last year and does not guarantee winter prices or reliability.

By Greener Numbers Editorial Team · Published October 15, 2026 · Updated 10/15/2026

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on October 15 that working natural gas in Lower 48 underground storage totaled 3,567 billion cubic feet as of October 9. That was a net increase of 67 billion cubic feet from the previous week.

The estimate was 45 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 3,522 billion cubic feet, or 1.3% higher. It was also 143 billion cubic feet below the year-earlier level of 3,710 billion cubic feet, a 3.9% decline. The two comparisons describe different baselines.

EIA says total working gas was within the five-year historical range. Being inside that range is a description of stored volumes, not a forecast of winter weather, gas demand, wholesale prices or household heating bills.

Regional changes were mixed. The Midwest added 27 billion cubic feet, the East added 22 billion, South Central added 21 billion and Mountain added 2 billion. Pacific inventories fell by 5 billion cubic feet. These are weekly stock changes, not regional consumption totals.

The figures are EIA estimates, with sampling variability and independently rounded components. The agency lists a national stock coefficient of variation of 0.4% and a standard error of 1.0 billion cubic feet for the net change in this report.

The next release is scheduled for October 22. Storage is one part of fuel availability, alongside production, transport capacity and demand. This weekly report alone does not establish that utilities have a guaranteed supply cushion or that consumer prices will fall.

Official source: U.S. Energy Information Administration ↗