Platts pre-report analyst survey suggests US EIA data will show an 74- to 78-Bcf addition in natural gas stocks

Washington - October 6, 2010

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is expected Thursday to report a net injection of 74 to 78 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to natural gas storage for the week that ended October 1, according to a Platts survey of analysts.

A build within that range would be larger than both the 68-Bcf build for the comparable week of 2009 and the five-year-average of 67 Bcf, according to EIA. As a result, the 166-Bcf deficit to last year is likely to narrow, while the 202-Bcf surplus over the five-year average is expected to grow.

Beyond the consensus, the broader range of analyst estimates for the latest reporting week spanned from injections of 72 Bcf to 85 Bcf.

FirstEnergy Capital analyst Martin King said he is expecting a 76-Bcf injection, with a 5-Bcf drawdown in the Western region.

"An unusual mix of weather last week has led us to expect a very unseasonal withdrawal for the West, as scorching hot temperatures hit the region last week, with several cities seeing all-time record highs on a few days," he said. "We would not be

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This analyst survey is conducted by Platts’ editorial team in Washington, DC and is published every Wednesday morning, one day ahead of the 10:30 a.m. (ET) Thursday release of the weekly natural gas storage report of the U. Energy Information Administration. Platts has been conducting this survey since January 2007. The survey includes 15 to 25 analysts, some on a rotational basis.

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