What The August 6 Report Shows
EIA reported a 33 Bcf net injection into Lower 48 storage for the week ending July 31, bringing total working gas to 3,117 Bcf. Stocks were 12 Bcf below the year-earlier level and 195 Bcf above the five-year average of 2,922 Bcf.
Compared with the July 30 report, KilowattLogic calculates that the weekly build increased by 5 Bcf, the five-year surplus widened by 10 Bcf, and the year-over-year deficit narrowed by 20 Bcf. The national refill path remains above normal, but the regional table is more uneven.
| Region | Working Gas | Weekly Change | Vs 5-Yr Avg | Vs Year Ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 678 Bcf | +24 Bcf | +5.3% | +3.5% |
| Midwest | 809 Bcf | +20 Bcf | +7.0% | +4.5% |
| Mountain | 237 Bcf | -1 Bcf | +15.0% | -4.4% |
| Pacific | 304 Bcf | -3 Bcf | +15.2% | -0.3% |
| South Central | 1,090 Bcf | -6 Bcf | +3.6% | -5.0% |
| South Central salt | 292 Bcf | -11 Bcf | +9.4% | -2.3% |
| South Central nonsalt | 798 Bcf | +5 Bcf | +1.7% | -6.0% |
Commercial Buyer Read
| Signal | Market Read | Buyer Move |
|---|---|---|
| 33 Bcf injection | The Lower 48 build was 5 Bcf larger than the prior report and lifted working gas to 3,117 Bcf. | Keep heat, LNG feedgas, production, and power burn in the procurement read instead of turning one weekly build into a price forecast. |
| 195 Bcf above five-year average | KilowattLogic calculates that the national surplus widened by 10 Bcf from the July 30 report. | Use the cushion as national supply context, then test regional basis, delivery tariffs, and contract pass-through terms separately. |
| 12 Bcf below last year | KilowattLogic calculates that the year-over-year deficit narrowed by 20 Bcf, but inventories still trailed July 31, 2025 by 0.4%. | Describe the balance as above the five-year average but still slightly below last year; do not collapse the two comparisons. |
| Three regional withdrawals | Mountain withdrew 1 Bcf, Pacific 3 Bcf, and South Central 6 Bcf while East and Midwest injected 44 Bcf combined. | Keep Gulf Coast, LNG-linked, western, and basis-sensitive exposures separate from the Lower 48 headline. |
What Not To Infer
- A 33 Bcf injection does not guarantee lower delivered natural gas or electricity rates.
- A national surplus does not remove local basis, pipeline-constraint, LNG-feedgas, or high-demand risk.
- Weekly storage data is not a supplier quote; tariff class, load shape, delivery charges, and contract terms still determine the bill.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report for week ending July 31, 2026, released August 6, 2026; EIA weekly storage JSON, CSV, and summary text.