Platts pre-report analyst survey suggests US EIA data will show an 86- to 90-Bcf addition in natural gas stocks

Washington - October 20, 2010

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is expected Thursday to report a net injection of 86 to 90 billion cubic feet (Bcf) to natural gas storage for the week that ended October 15, according to a Platts survey of analysts.

A build within that range would be larger than both the 23-Bcf build in the comparable week of 2009 and the five-year-average of 54 Bcf, according to EIA. As a result, the 118-Bcf deficit to last year's level is expected to shrink, while the 247-Bcf surplus over the five-year average is likely to expand.

Beyond the consensus, the broader range of analysts’ injection estimates for the week that ended October 15 spanned from 82 Bcf to 98 Bcf.

Kent Bayazitoglu, director of market analytics at Gelber & Associates, said last week's mild weather kept demand to a minimum and should mean a large injection that may set a record for this time of year.

"As impressive as production has been, the amount of storage space still available for injecting has been equally impressive," he said.

# # #

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.

About Platts: Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. An independent provider, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity, emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemicals, shipping, and metals markets from 17 offices worldwide. Platts' real-time news, pricing, analytical services and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts, Capital IQ, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2008 were $6.4 billion. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com