Updates with report, EIA staff reduction.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said a technical issue with third-party software was the reason a key natural gas storage report was delayed today.
The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report, which is closely watched by traders and often moves markets, did not appear until 2pm ET, later than its regular scheduled time of 10:30am ET. Inventories grew by 107 Bcf (3bn m³) in the week ended 25 April, according to the report.
The latest delay comes amid a flurry of staff departures at the EIA, the energy statistics arm of the US government, as part of ongoing efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to slash the size of the federal work force and curb spending. Around a third of the agency's 350 staff have taken voluntary buyouts, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The staff exodus raises concerns about the agency's ability to gather and report timely data and continue providing independent forecasts covering energy production, stocks, demand and prices.
Last month, the EIA delayed its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) by two days to take into account significant changes in markets following Trump's sweeping tariffs.
And the EIA's release of its 2025 Annual Energy Outlook did not include the in-depth analysis that usually accompanies the report. It was accompanied by a statement from the Department of Energy that said the report reflects the "disastrous path" US energy production was on under the administration of former president Joseph Biden.
