Corpus Christi LNG Stage 3 and ERCOT Heat Drive US Gas Storage 125 Bcf Below Year-Ago as Injection Season Nears Close

US working gas in storage reached 3,298 billion cubic feet for the week ending September 11, 2026, according to the EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released September 17.

The reading is 125 Bcf below the 3,423 Bcf recorded for the same week of 2025 and 44 Bcf above the prior week's 3,254 Bcf.

With roughly seven injection weeks remaining before the winter heating season, the current +44 Bcf weekly pace implies an end-of-season peak near 3,606 Bcf. That would fall approximately 344 Bcf short of the 3,950 Bcf peak recorded on November 7, 2025.

South Central Region Draws During Injection Season

The national headline masks a sharp divergence in the South Central region. Storage there has fallen 54 Bcf since August 7, sliding from 1,093 Bcf to 1,039 Bcf as of September 11.

That regional draw occurred while every other major storage region posted injections, a pattern consistent with elevated LNG feed gas demand from Gulf Coast terminals and near-record summer power burn across Texas.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas reported near-record high electricity demand through early September 2026, driven by above-normal temperatures across the state, according to the EIA.

Corpus Christi Stage 3: A 20-Percent Capacity Jump for Cheniere

The South Central draw is partly attributable to Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC, a Cheniere Energy subsidiary, which completed its CCL Stage 3 project on August 28, 2026.

Stage 3 adds seven midscale trains with a nominal nameplate capacity of 1.3 billion cubic feet per day and a peak capacity of 1.5 Bcf/d.

Cheniere president and CEO Jack Fusco said the project "expanded Cheniere's LNG production capacity, including the capacity of the CCL Stage 3 project, by over 20%, to approximately 56 million tonnes per annum."

The EIA estimated in a September 15 Today in Energy article that Stage 3 adds approximately 1.3 Bcf/d of feed gas demand, and noted that Corpus Christi now rivals Sabine Pass as the United States' largest LNG export hub.

Cheniere operates two major US LNG export facilities through separate subsidiaries: Corpus Christi Liquefaction LLC, with 3.1 Bcf/d of nominal capacity, and Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, with 3.6 Bcf/d of nominal capacity.

Together the two subsidiaries account for roughly 6.7 Bcf/d of nominal US LNG export capacity, making Cheniere the single largest driver of incremental feed gas demand in North America.

Feed Gas Math: About 18 Bcf in Two Weeks

At 1.3 Bcf/d of nominal feed gas demand, Stage 3 draws approximately 18 Bcf in its first 14 days of full operation.

That incremental pull, layered on top of existing export demand and elevated ERCOT power burn, helps explain why the year-over-year storage deficit has widened since Stage 3 came online August 28.

Henry Hub spot prices have responded to the tighter supply picture, closing at $2.85 per MMBtu on Monday, September 14 and rising to $2.97 per MMBtu on Tuesday, September 15, per EIA spot price data.

Gas Drilling at Three-Year High

Baker Hughes reported 134 active gas-directed rigs in the United States for the week ending September 19, 2026, a three-year high. The broader North American count stood at 595 total active rigs for the same week.

The elevated gas rig count signals producer confidence in natural gas fundamentals heading into winter, though new production typically takes six to nine months to reach market.

Midstream Positioned for Higher Throughput

Increased LNG feed gas demand benefits operators with firm capacity on Gulf Coast gathering and transmission lines. Williams Companies recently acquired Momentum Midstream in a $5.5 billion transaction.

That deal added 6 Bcf/d of Haynesville gathering capacity and the Delta Access pipeline, which moves 2.25 Bcf/d and directly connects Haynesville supply basins to Gulf Coast LNG export terminals.

At a blended Henry Hub average of approximately $2.91 per MMBtu for the September 14-15 period, Delta Access alone represents an estimated throughput value of roughly $6.5 million per day.

For more on the Williams deal, see our earlier coverage: Williams Momentum Midstream: Haynesville and Gulf LNG via Delta Access.

Winter 2026-27 Supply Outlook

The 125 Bcf year-over-year deficit and the approaching end of injection season leave the market with limited room to build a storage cushion before cold weather arrives.

The EIA's September 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook projects US crude oil production at a record 13.8 million barrels per day, underscoring broad capital deployment across the energy sector.

The next EIA Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report, covering the week ending September 18, 2026, is scheduled for release on September 24.

Corpus Christi Liquefaction Midscale, a two-train expansion adding approximately 0.4 Bcf/d, remains on schedule for completion in 2028 and would bring the Corpus Christi complex to roughly 3.5 Bcf/d of nominal export capacity.

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Sources and Methodology

Working gas in storage data: EIA Natural Gas Weekly Storage Report, week ending September 11, 2026, released September 17, 2026. eia.gov/dnav/ng.

Corpus Christi LNG capacity analysis: EIA Today in Energy, September 15, 2026. eia.gov/todayinenergy.

CCL Stage 3 project completion: Cheniere Energy press release, September 2, 2026. cheniere.com/newsroom.

ERCOT heat demand: EIA Today in Energy, September 3, 2026. eia.gov/todayinenergy.

Rig count: Baker Hughes North America Rig Count, week ending September 19, 2026. rigcount.bakerhughes.com.

Henry Hub spot prices: EIA Natural Gas Spot Price, September 14-15, 2026. eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist.