The U.S. Energy Information Administration issued the following weekly estimates of U.S. working gas in underground storage.

Traders surveyed by Reuters before the report was released had expected U.S. weekly natural gas stocks would be down 173 bcf in the latest week.

The EIA survey sample measures the relative volume of the respondent population compared with the total for all underground storage units. The sample coverage may vary if companies fail to report or the sample population changes.It is calculated as the sum of the volume for reporting respondents in the current week divided by the volume for all underground storage units.

In billion cubic feet except where noted:   

Stocks (BCF)                                                        Year ago                    5-Year average
Region        01/07/2022   12/31/2021   net change      implied        (Bcf)     % change        (Bcf)     % change
                                                           flow 
East                 730          767          -37          -37          732         -0.3          688          6.1   
Midwest              835          893          -58          -58          885         -5.6          823          1.5   
Mountain             159          172          -13          -13          189        -15.9          168         -5.4   
Pacific              204          219          -15          -15          279        -26.9          246        -17.1   
South Central      1,088        1,143          -55          -55        1,131         -3.8        1,019          6.8   
  Salt               330          347          -17          -17          328          0.6          302          9.3   
  Nonsalt            759          796          -37          -37          803         -5.5          717          5.9   
Total              3,016        3,195         -179         -179        3,215         -6.2        2,944          2.4    

Source: Reuters