What The September 10 Report Shows
EIA reported a 40 Bcf net injection into Lower 48 storage for the week ending September 4, bringing total working gas to 3,254 Bcf. Stocks were 79 Bcf below the year-earlier level and 148 Bcf above the five-year average of 3,106 Bcf. EIA classifies total storage as within the five-year historical range.
Compared with the September 3 report, KilowattLogic calculates that the weekly build increased by 10 Bcf, or about 33%. At the same time, the five-year surplus narrowed by 12 Bcf, or 7.5%, and the year-over-year deficit widened by 29 Bcf, or 58%. A larger weekly injection therefore did not reverse the recent erosion in either comparison.
| Region | Working Gas | Weekly Change | Vs 5-Yr Avg | Vs Year Ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 773 Bcf | +20 Bcf | +5.9% | +2.5% |
| Midwest | 908 Bcf | +18 Bcf | +4.4% | +2.5% |
| Mountain | 239 Bcf | +3 Bcf | +8.6% | -7.0% |
| Pacific | 290 Bcf | +5 Bcf | +10.3% | -1.0% |
| South Central | 1,044 Bcf | -7 Bcf | +2.0% | -8.7% |
| South Central salt | 227 Bcf | -11 Bcf | -3.8% | -19.2% |
| South Central nonsalt | 817 Bcf | +4 Bcf | +3.7% | -5.2% |
East and Midwest injected 38 Bcf combined, Mountain and Pacific injected another 8 Bcf, and South Central withdrew 7 Bcf. The regional components sum to 39 Bcf because EIA independently rounds regional and national estimates. South Central salt storage alone fell 11 Bcf and remained 19.2% below last year.
Commercial Buyer Read
| Signal | Market Read | Buyer Move |
|---|---|---|
| 40 Bcf injection | The Lower 48 build increased by 10 Bcf, or about 33%, from the September 3 report. | Use the larger build as one balance signal; keep production, LNG feedgas, weather, and power burn in the procurement read. |
| 148 Bcf above five-year average | KilowattLogic calculates that the national cushion narrowed by 12 Bcf, or 7.5%, from the prior report. | Treat the 4.8% surplus as national context, then test local basis, tariffs, and pass-through terms separately. |
| 79 Bcf below last year | KilowattLogic calculates that the year-over-year deficit widened by 29 Bcf, or 58%, in one week. | Keep both comparisons visible: storage is above the five-year average while trailing last year by a wider margin. |
| South Central withdrawal | South Central withdrew 7 Bcf, including an 11 Bcf salt-storage draw, while every other major region injected gas. | Do not let the national build erase Gulf Coast, salt-storage, LNG-linked, or basis-sensitive risk. |
What Not To Infer
- A 40 Bcf injection does not guarantee higher or 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 September 4, 2026, released September 10, 2026; EIA weekly storage JSON, CSV, and summary text. Retrieved September 11, 2026.