U.S. Pacific regional storage facilities, in contrast to the rest of the Lower 48, limped to the end of winter withdrawal season with the lightest level of natural gas inventories in more than a decade, an analysis by East Daley Analytics found.

While weather proved seasonally mild across much of the country in early 2023, a harsh winter in parts of California and neighboring states fueled greater-than-average demand in the West. At the same time, pipeline limitations and maintenance events curtailed flows of natural gas to the region, limiting supply.

Working gas inventories in the Pacific region fell to 72 Bcf in mid-March, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. That marked the lowest level in weekly regional estimates dating to 2010, East Daley analysts...