Market Highlights:
Natural gas storage
Net injections into storage totaled 67 Bcf for the week ending October 9, compared with the five-year (2021–2025) average net injections of 90 Bcf and last year’s net injections of 80 Bcf during the same week. Working natural gas stocks totaled 3,567 Bcf as of Friday, October 9, 2026, according to EIA estimates. Stocks were 45 Bcf (1%) more than the five-year average and 143 Bcf (4%) lower than last year at this time. The average rate of injections into storage is 1% lower 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 10.5 Bcf/d for the remainder of the refill season, the total inventory would be 3,798 Bcf on October 31, which is 45 Bcf higher than the five-year average of 3,753 Bcf for that time of year.
Natural gas prices
The Henry Hub price increased $0.07/MMBtu from $3.16/MMBtu last Wednesday to $3.23/MMBtu yesterday. Prices have averaged $3.08/MMBtu so far in October, $0.12/MMBtu below the October 2025 average. Natural gas deliveries to U.S. LNG export terminals rose by 1.2 Bcf/d this week to average 19.1 Bcf/d, according to S&P Global Energy. Gulf Coast deliveries reached their highest daily level since late August, driven by increases at Golden Pass and Freeport LNG. Freeport LNG’s Train 2 returned to service following maintenance. Feedgas deliveries to Cove Point LNG also rebounded to about 0.8 Bcf/d on October 12, according to Criterion Research, following its annual planned maintenance outage. Lower 48 dry natural gas production decreased 0.8 Bcf/d to average 110.3 Bcf/d this week, according to S&P Global Energy, with daily output reaching its lowest level since May. Natural gas demand declined by about 0.3 Bcf/d each in the electric power, industrial, and combined residential and commercial sectors, collectively offsetting the decrease in production. Net pipeline imports from Canada increased 0.2 Bcf/d (3%) to average 5.9 Bcf/d this week, while net pipeline exports to Mexico increased 0.1 Bcf/d (1%) to average 7.1 Bcf/d.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
For the week ending October 14: The LNG-carrying capacity of vessels departing U.S. ports was 131 Bcf, up 12 Bcf from the previous week. Thirty-five LNG vessels left U.S. ports, up four vessels from the previous week. Seven vessels each departed from Corpus Christi, Plaquemines, and Sabine Pass; five from Freeport; four from Cameron; three from Calcasieu Pass; and one each from Elba Island and Golden Pass.