Natural Gas Storage Deficit Poised for Autumn Breakthrough
US natural gas storage is poised to see a reduction in its deficit as autumn weather arrives. According to NOAA data, total cooling degree days (CDDs) fell from 58 last week to 43, which is still 12% greater than normal for this time of year but much closer to the usual amount.
NGI's price and data analyst projects that the latest US Energy Information Administration (EIA) Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report will show an injection of 63 Bcf, up 10 Bcf week/week. This would be 7 Bcf more than last year and marks the first weekly reduction in the year/year deficit since July 31.
The current shortage to last year sits at 146 Bcf. NGI's Entropic Analytics data show natural gas deliveries to Lower 48 power generators and LNG liquefaction plants each fell 0.3 Bcf/d week/week, while shipments to Mexico declined by 0.1 Bcf/d.
The reduction in supply helped send NGI's Weekly Henry Hub index up 8.0 cents to $3.025 last week, the first time that index has broken the $3 level since July 13.