Natural gas storage adds 77 Bcf but ends the refill season 4% below a year ago

U.S. underground natural gas storage rose 77 billion cubic feet to 3,644 Bcf in the week ended October 16, EIA reported Thursday, the smallest injection for that calendar week in five years. The build leaves the country about 154 Bcf, or 4.1 percent, below the same week a year ago even as it holds roughly 42 Bcf above the five-year average. The number matters less for the size of the weekly move than for where it puts the system as the refill season all but closes.

Key Takeaways Working gas in Lower 48 storage rose 77 Bcf to 3,644 Bcf in the week ended October 16, the lightest injection for that calendar week in five years against a 93 Bcf average. Storage sits 154 Bcf, or about 4.1 percent,…