US Natgas Prices Fall on Larger-than-Normal Storage Build
US natural gas futures dropped over 2% to under $3.4/MMBtu, pressured by a larger-than-expected weekly storage report. For the week ended October 17, the EIA reported an 87 billion cubic feet (bcf) injection, surpassing market forecasts of 83 bcf. This build was driven by milder weather and was above both last year's 79 bcf increase and the five-year average of 77 bcf. Consequently, total inventories are now 0.9% higher than a year ago and 4.5% above the five-year average, indicating ample supply. While record output earlier this year enabled strong storage injections, recent data shows a slight dip in production. Conversely, demand from LNG export plants has risen to a new monthly high. Looking ahead, meteorologists forecast temperatures across the country would remain mostly near-normal through November 7.