Knoxville, Tennessee (Platts)--30Aug2012/1115 am EDT/1515 GMT

US natural gas storage stocks rose by 66 Bcf to 3.374 Tcf for the week that ended Friday, the US Energy Information Administration said Thursday in its weekly report.

The net injection was above consensus expectations of a build between 58 Bcf and 62 Bcf. A year earlier, EIA reported a 60-Bcf injection to storage.

As a result, the 423-Bcf surplus to the year-ago level rose to 429 Bcf, while the 357-Bcf surplus to the five-year average of 3.013 Tcf climbed to 361 Bcf.

EIA reported a 47-Bcf injection in the East to 1.759 Tcf, compared with 1.563 Tcf a year ago; a 3-Bcf withdrawal in the West to 491 Bcf, compared with 425 Bcf a year ago; and a 16-Bcf injection in the producing region to 1.124 Tcf, compared with 958 Bcf a year ago.

Inventories now are 109 Bcf above the five-year average of 1.650 Tcf in the East, 63 Bcf above the five-year average of 428 Bcf in the West, and 189 Bcf above the five-year average of 935 Bcf in the producing region.

--Stephanie Seay, stephanie_seay@platts.com
--Edited by Valarie Jackson, valarie_jackson@platts.com

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