Natural Gas Stays Below $3 as Storage Surplus Grows Despite Summer Heat

U.S. natural gas inventories sit more than 6% above the five-year average, with analysts surveyed by the WSJ expecting a 31 Bcf build that would extend the surplus to 193 Bcf. Hot summer weather across major demand regions has not lifted prices below $3/MMBtu. The cushion dampens the volatility that seasonal heat typically triggers, benefiting utilities and industrial consumers.