Weekly Gas Storage: Inventories Rise by 77 Bcf
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U.S. Natural Gas Storage Update: Week Ending October 16, 2026
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) published its latest weekly natural gas storage report, detailing a net injection of 77 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ending October 16, 2026.
Total working gas in underground storage reached 3,644 Bcf by Friday, October 16, 2026. This 77 Bcf gain builds on the previous week’s total. Overall inventories currently stand 152 Bcf below levels recorded at this time last year, yet remain 35 Bcf higher than the five-year average level of 3,609 Bcf.
Current underground storage volumes of 3,644 Bcf remain well within historical norms for this point in the five-year period.
| Working gas in underground storage, Lower 48 states | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Comparisons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stocks billion cubic feet (Bcf) |
Year ago (10/16/25) |
5-year average (2021-25) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Region | 10/16/26 | 10/09/26 | net change | implied flow | Bcf | % change | Bcf | % change | |||||||||||||||||
| East | 900 | 884 | 16 | 16 | 897 | 0.3 | 876 | 2.7 | |||||||||||||||||
| Midwest | 1,065 | 1,037 | 28 | 28 | 1,056 | 0.9 | 1,044 | 2.0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mountain | 257 | 255 | 2 | 2 | 282 | -8.9 | 246 | 4.5 | |||||||||||||||||
| Pacific | 297 | 294 | 3 | 3 | 310 | -4.2 | 279 | 6.5 | |||||||||||||||||
| South Central | 1,125 | 1,097 | 28 | 28 | 1,250 | -10.0 | 1,165 | -3.4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Salt | 251 | 236 | 15 | 15 | 318 | -21.1 | 295 | -14.9 | |||||||||||||||||
| Nonsalt | 875 | 861 | 14 | 14 | 933 | -6.2 | 871 | 0.5 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 3,644 | 3,567 | 77 | 77 | 3,796 | -4.0 | 3,609 | 1.0 | |||||||||||||||||
| Totals may not equal sum of components because of independent rounding. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Storage levels rose across all reporting regions during the week.
Most regions are tracking above their five-year averages, with the exception of the overall South Central region and its Salt facilities subcategory.
