Working natural gas in underground storage facilities totalled 1,778 bcf as of March 31, 2021 — the end of the winter heating season, which began in November – and was 1.4% lower than the five-year average in 2016-20, according to EIA.
The main factor of changes in working natural gas stocks during the 2020–21 winter’s heating season was the sustained period of temperatures colder than normal throughout the US. The cold snap was also felt in the residential and commercial sector demand for space heating.
Net withdrawals during February represented about 37% of all withdrawals from the natural gas storage during the 2020-21 heating season, compared with 24% over the previous five heating seasons. The total February natural gas demand (including exports and losses) averaged about 123 bcf/d.
Lastly, the colder-than-normal temperatures from 2021’s February led to the first stock deficit to the five-year average since November 2019.
Sources: eia.gov
