Traders in US natural gas markets hang on the weekly storage figures that have been collated by the American Gas Association (AGA) since 1994. But on May 9, that responsibility will be passed to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical branch of the US government Department of Energy.

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) – the body representing major integrated and large independent producers of natural gas – had voiced concerns in January 2002 over the handover. It