Last reviewed on October 3, 2026.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on Thursday, March 12, 2026 estimated working gas in Lower 48 underground storage at 1,838 Bcf for the week ending Friday, March 6, 2026. That was a net withdrawal of 38 Bcf from the previous week, leaving inventories 27 Bcf below the 2021–2025 five-year average of 1,865 Bcf and 131 Bcf above the year-ago level of 1,707 Bcf.
Regional breakdown
| Region | Stocks (Bcf) | Net change | 5-yr avg | vs 5-yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 294 | −28 | 358 | −17.9% |
| Midwest | 375 | −22 | 447 | −16.1% |
| Mountain | 189 | +2 | 125 | +51.2% |
| Pacific | 259 | +2 | 170 | +52.4% |
| South Central | 721 | +9 | 764 | −5.6% |
| Total Lower 48 | 1,838 | −38 | 1,865 | −1.4% |
Context: the withdrawal season winds down
A 38 Bcf draw is small for early March. Most of it came from the East and Midwest consuming regions, while the Mountain, Pacific and South Central regions reported small net injections, which is typical as mild days start to appear in the South and West.
The following report showed the first net injection of the year (+34 Bcf for the week ending March 13), but the season was not quite over: stocks fell again by 54 Bcf in the week ending March 20 to 1,818 Bcf, which turned out to be the 2026 low. From there inventories rebuilt steadily; by the week ending September 25 they stood at 3,415 Bcf, 2.4% above the five-year average.
On the price side, the EIA's Henry Hub spot price traded between $2.87 and $3.27/MMBtu during the first two weeks of March and averaged $3.04 for the month.
How to read these numbers
The headline figure is the weekly net change. Markets compare it with the consensus of analyst estimates collected before the release, so a 38 Bcf withdrawal can be bullish or bearish depending on what was expected. The comparison with the five-year average tells you whether the market is carrying more or less gas than usual for the time of year. Our storage report guide explains each column, and the storage hub charts the full 2026 season.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report and weekly storage history (values as published with the October 1, 2026 release, which may include later revisions). Comparison values are the EIA's published five-year average and year-ago stocks for this report week. EIA weekly storage history.