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Abstract

Do natural gas storage decisions in distant California respond to NYMEX futures price spreads? Daily data about flows into and out of storage facilities in California over 2002-2006 and daily spreads on NYMEX are used to investigate whether the net injection profile is consistent with the “supply-of-storage” curve first observed by Working for wheat. Storage decisions in California do seem to be influenced by a price signal that combines the intertemporal spread and the locational basis between California and the Henry Hub, in addition to strong seasonal and weekly cycles that determine net injections to a considerable extent. The timing and magnitude of the price response differ across storage facilities. Regulatory requirements and operational constraints also limit the response to short-lived arbitrage opportunities.

Keywords

Natural gas supply of storage California NYMEX futures price spot price

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The Supply of Storage for Natural Gas in California

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