The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on Thursday, October 22, 2026 estimated working gas in Lower 48 underground storage at 3,644 Bcf for the week ending Friday, October 16, 2026. That was a net 77 Bcf injection from the previous week, leaving inventories 35 Bcf above the five-year average of 3,609 Bcf and 152 Bcf below the year-ago level of 3,796 Bcf.
Regional breakdown
| Region | Stocks (Bcf) | Net change | 5-yr avg | vs 5-yr | Year ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 900 | +16 | 876 | +2.7% | 897 |
| Midwest | 1,065 | +28 | 1,044 | +2.0% | 1,056 |
| Mountain | 257 | +2 | 246 | +4.5% | 282 |
| Pacific | 297 | +3 | 279 | +6.5% | 310 |
| South Central | 1,125 | +28 | 1,165 | −3.4% | 1,250 |
| Total Lower 48 | 3,644 | +77 | 3,609 | +1.0% | 3,796 |
What stands out this week
The 77 Bcf injection was Midwest-led: that region accounted for +28 Bcf of the national change. The five-year average changes by +87 Bcf in the same week, so this report was smaller than normal for the season. The surplus against the five-year average narrowed from 45 Bcf to 35 Bcf. Within South Central, salt-cavern stocks moved +15 Bcf and non-salt stocks +14 Bcf; salt inventories stood at 251 Bcf against a five-year average of 295 Bcf.
The EIA's Henry Hub spot price ranged from $3.10 to $3.30/MMBtu during the report week. Spot prices cover physical gas at Henry Hub; for the futures market see the live natural gas chart.
How to read these numbers
Markets compare the net change with analyst estimates collected before the release, so the same figure can be bullish or bearish depending on what was expected. The comparison with the five-year average shows whether the market holds 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 season.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report, weekly storage history and five-year statistics. Later revisions can change these values. EIA weekly storage history.