In its weekly release yesterday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a bigger-than-expected 69 billion cubic feet (Bcf) addition to natural gas stockpiles for the week ended October 2. This takes the current storage level to a new record high of 3.66 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), which is up 14.9% from last year's level and 15.1% above the five-year range (as clear from the nearby chart from the EIA). Current stocks are 473 Bcf above last year’s level and 480 Bcf above the five-year average. The inventory addition was lower than the five-year-average injection of 70 Bcf and last year's build of 87 Bcf.     The relentless increase in gas storage levels has meant that with four weeks remaining in the storage injection season, stockpiles are already 94% full. At this pace, by October 31, which is the end of the injection season, ...

In its weekly release yesterday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a less-than-expected 69 billion cubic feet (Bcf) weekly addition to natural gas stockpiles for the week ended September 4. This takes the current storage level to 3.39 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), which is up 17.1% from last year's level and 17.4% above the five-year range (as clear from the nearby chart from the EIA). Current stocks are 495 Bcf above last year’s level and 503 Bcf above the five-year average.     The inventory addition was higher than last year's build of 63 Bcf and the five-year-average injection of 67 Bcf. The relentless increase in gas storage levels continue to add to the long list of issues weighing on the commodity. At this pace, inventories are on course to surpass the all-time high level of 3.57 Tcf recorded at the end of October ...

In its weekly release yesterday, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a bigger-than-expected 54 billion cubic feet (Bcf) weekly addition to natural gas stockpiles for the week ended August 21. This takes the current storage level to 3.26 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), which is up 18.8% from last year's level and 18.1% above the five-year range (as clear from the nearby chart from the EIA). Current stocks are 516 Bcf above this last year and 500 Bcf above the five-year average.       The build was smaller than last year's 100 Bcf build and the five-year-average injection of 67 Bcf. However, the relentless increase in gas storage levels continue to add to the long list of issues weighing on the commodity. Natural gas prices rallied earlier last year, reaching over $13 per million Btu (MMBtu) in July 2008, before trending down. Prices have since dropped ...

The storage overhang in the U.S. natural gas market shows no sign of easing. With domestic production continuing to outpace recession-hit demand, despite the sharp retrenchment in the rig count, the commodity appears to be on track to exit the summer injection season with an all-time high storage build. Today's bearish report is expected to stall, if not altogether reverse, the emerging strength in natural gas prices over the last few days that pushed it above the $4 mark.To play this natural gas outlook, we continue to rely primarily on select E&P players such as EnCana (ECA), XTO Energy (XTO) and Chesapeake (CHK), who have the bulk of this year's production hedged at attractive prices and have access to resource-rich assets can be profitably operated in the current low-price environment.We remain wary of land drillers such ...

Growing Stockpiles Weigh on Natural Gas PricesThe Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported today another 100 billion plus addition to natural gas stockpiles, highlighting the commodity's weak supply-demand fundamentals. Continued strength in domestic production despite the massive retrenchment in drilling activities from last summer's peak level and recessionary industrial demand has resulted in a major storage overhang.As this chart from the EIA clearly shows, natural gas in storage has reached approximately 2.4 trillion cubic feet, which is up 30.3% from last year's level and 21.8% above the five-year range. As a result, natural gas has been a less-than-enthusiastic participant in the ongoing market rally, left far behind by crude oil. This is clear from the nearby chart plotting the NYMEX front-month oil and natural gas contracts since the start of the current rally in Feb'09. Year to date, oil ...

Growing Stockpiles Weigh on Natural Gas PricesThe Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported today another 100 billion plus addition to natural gas stockpiles, highlighting the commodity's weak supply-demand fundamentals. Continued strength in domestic production despite the massive retrenchment in drilling activities from last summer's peak level and recessionary industrial demand has resulted in a major storage overhang.As this chart from the EIA clearly shows, natural gas in storage has reached approximately 2.4 trillion cubic feet, which is up 30.3% from last year's level and 21.8% above the five-year range. As a result, natural gas has been a less-than-enthusiastic participant in the ongoing market rally, left far behind by crude oil. This is clear from the nearby chart plotting the NYMEX front-month oil and natural gas contracts since the start of the current rally in Feb'09. Year to date, oil ...