Wildfires, pandemic and pipeline maintenance complicate US West Coast natural gas storage outlook

The US Pacific and Mountain regions experienced a slate of outside factors affecting storage volumes during the 2020 injection season. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March prompted natural gas demand to drop by as much as 15% during the spring in parts of the Pacific Northwest. The subsequent oil and gas price collapse led producers in surrounding basins to curb production as pipeline maintenance that decreased imports from Canada also limited inflows. Brutal heat and raging wildfires also played a role in seasonal demand as the region faces a possible bullish outlook this heating season.