Knoxville, Tennessee (Platts)--16Oct2008

US natural gas storage supplies grew by 79 Bcf during the week that ended
Friday, raising nationwide inventories to 3.277 Tcf with three weeks remaining
in the traditional storage refill season, the US Energy Information
Administration reported Thursday.

The build was below most analyst expectations, which ranged from 83 Bcf
to 87 Bcf.

In the same week of 2007, EIA reported 3.364 Tcf in storage. The deficit
from the year-ago level fell to 87 Bcf from 117 Bcf a week earlier, while the
surplus over the five-year average climbed to 85 Bcf from 69 Bcf.

EIA reported a net injection of 46 Bcf in the East region, raising
inventories to 1.945 Tcf, compared with 1.925 Tcf a year ago; an 8-Bcf
injection in the West, to 440 Bcf, compared with 445 Bcf a year ago, and an
injection of 25 Bcf in the producing region, to 892 Bcf, compared with 994 Bcf
a year ago.

Inventories now are 84 Bcf above the five-year average of 1.861 Tcf in
the East, 17 Bcf above the five-year average of 423 Bcf in the West, and 15
Bcf below the five-year average of 907 Bcf in the producing region.
--Stephanie Seay, stephanie_seay@platts.com