US natural gas prices fell more than 1% Friday to $2.85 per million British thermal units, reversing the previous session's gains as forecasts turned cooler. The Energy Information Administration reported a 44 billion cubic foot storage injection for the week ended September 11, 2026, below the 49 bcf forecast, the 87 bcf build a year earlier and the 74 bcf 2021-2025 five-year average. Working gas inventories reached 3.298 trillion cubic feet, about 3.6% below last year's level but 3.7% above the five-year average; the surplus over that average narrowed to 118 bcf from 148 bcf a week earlier. Above-average temperatures were expected to cover a smaller area of the South and Southeast from September 22 to October 1, potentially reducing air-conditioning demand from power generators. Strong Lower 48 production and lower LNG export flows also pressured prices, with September output averaging 113.1 bcfd above August's record 112.2 bcfd and flows to nine major LNG facilities expected to fall to 17.5 bcfd during Cameron LNG maintenance.