Market Highlights:
Natural gas storage
Net injections into storage totaled 33 Bcf for the week ending July 31, compared with the five-year (2021–2025) average net injections of 23 Bcf and last year’s net injections of 13 Bcf during the same week. Working natural gas stocks totaled 3,117 Bcf as of Friday, July 31, 2026, according to EIA estimates. Stocks were 195 Bcf (7%) more than the five-year average and 12 Bcf (less than 1%) lower than last year at this time. The average rate of injections into storage is 12% higher than the five-year average so far in the refill season (April through October). If the rate of injections into storage matched the five-year average of 9.0 Bcf/d for the remainder of the refill season, the total inventory would be 3,948 Bcf on October 31, which is 195 Bcf higher than the five-year average of 3,753 Bcf for that time of year.
Natural gas prices
The Henry Hub spot price increased $0.04/MMBtu to $2.60/MMBtu yesterday. The July average monthly price closed at $2.89/MMBtu, with daily prices below $3.00/MMBtu since July 9. This average price for July was $0.31/MMBtu lower than last year. Below-average temperatures were reported across much of the central and eastern United States this week. Total demand for natural gas decreased slightly by 0.2 Bcf/d (less than 1%) according to LSEG Data, led by a 0.4 Bcf/d (2%) decrease in LNG feedgas. Total U.S. natural gas supply fell by 0.8 Bcf/d (1%), with dry production decreasing by 0.6 Bcf/d (less than 1%), according to LSEG Data. Average net imports from Canada decreased by 3% (0.2 Bcf/d) from last week.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
For the week ending August 5: The LNG-carrying capacity of vessels departing U.S. ports was 119 Bcf, down 16 Bcf from the previous week. Thirty-one LNG vessels left U.S. ports, down four vessels from the previous week.
Seven vessels departed from Sabine Pass, six from Plaquemines, five from Corpus Christi, four from Cameron, three from Calcasieu Pass, two each from Elba Island and Freeport, and one each from Cove Point and Golden Pass.