# Presentation: 513323

## Energy Information Administration’s Weekly Storage Survey and Web-based Information Dissemination.

- Roy Kass, Natural Gas Division, EIA
- March 20, 2002
- Reno, Nevada
- Gasmart

- Energy Information Administration’s Weekly Storage Survey and Web-based Information Dissemination.

## AGA Survey History

**At end of 1993 AGA began a voluntary survey of storage operators with purpose of enhancing information needed for storage operations.  Their last report will be May 1.**
**Respondents are 42-43 companies who report storage data for 3 geographic regions.  **
**Data are released on Wednesday afternoon of each week, with a delay of one day for some federal holidays. **

## AGA Data Collection

**AGA data form requests respondent information for 3 items per region (1 region per form):  **
**	****- Working gas volumes for company as of 9 a.m. Friday this week and this week last year **
**	****- Maximum working gas in company-region reservoirs at any time during 1992-2001**

## EIA Project Schedule 2001-2002

**Oct. 12        AGA announces intent to stop weekly survey**
**Oct.  30       Secretary directs EIA to conduct weekly survey****	**
**Oct.- Dec.   Meetings with agencies, industry, data customers, **
**	****	****        ****Federal Register Notice**
**Jan.****	****        OMB clearance, contractor award**
**Feb.-Mar    Sample notification, system building**
**Mar.-Apr.  First data due 3/18; data and response work**
**May 8-9      EIA data released, including data for 6-7 earlier **
**	****	****        ****weeks**

## Methodological and Operational Issues

**Estimation methodology and sample selection**
**Editing and imputation**
**Revision of estimates**
**Comparisons with AGA and EIA monthly series**
**Security, release time, and release product**

## Estimation and Sample Selection I

**Objectives are weekly estimates of working gas in storage for three regions and total U.S.**
**Approach was determined by available resources, time constraint, and customer/respondent desires for minimal change**

## Estimation and Sample Selection II

**Sampled from monthly EIA-191 responses for October, 2001 within each region, target standard error five percent of estimate.**
**Certainty and noncertainty strata.  Probability proportional to size for noncertainty companies**
**Initial sample of 50 companies.    Expect to select new panel annually.**

## Estimation and Sample Selection III

**Estimation formula in each region is **
**	**
**	**** **
**where N = all companies that report monthly for that region**
**	****n = sample size for that region**
**	****f = companies in region that failed edits or did not report this week**
**	****WWG = weekly reports of working gas for sample members in region**
**	****MWG = monthly reports of working gas for companies in region**
**	**

## Estimate Revisions

**We will allow (and encourage) revisions to submitted data of greater than 1 Bcf, especially if:**
**Errors in earlier reports are found**
**Reclassification between base and working gas**

## Operational Issues

**Comparisons between AGA and EIA series**
**Adequacy of response**
**Security equivalent to or more severe than AGA’s**

## Description of EIA and AGA Storage Data

**EIA will prepare two papers to assist analysts in using and assessing the data**
**Technical description of the survey and methodology (Mid April)**
**Comparison of methodologies and presentation of estimates for weeks where both EIA and AGA have collected data (shortly after EIA’s first publication)**

## Comparison: EIA and AGA Storage Data

**EIA monthly**

**End March: 18% difference**

**AGA weekly**

**Notes:**
One last area for discussion: the differences between the EIA and AGA series.

Both agencies have provided measures for working gas in underground storage.  The numbers were not always close -- as can be seen in the data for 2001.  

The typical pattern for the 2 series is general agreement around the start of the heating season, then larger discrepancies during the refill period.  

EIA plans a report for distribution around the time of the first data release that will address differences in the EIA and AGA series, and any issues in consistency between the EIA weekly and monthly series.

## April Working Gas:EIA-AGA Estimates

## Operational Concerns

**We will be posting the weekly product to EIA’s web site**
**EIA’s site is available to all Internet users**
**Press and wire services are our friend**
**Will not allow fast-repeating robots to conduct “denial of service attacks”**

## Getting EIA’s Information	

**Web-based dissemination**
**Http://www.eia.doe.gov**
**National Energy Information Center**
**202-586-8800**
**Email infoctr@eia.Doe.Gov**

## Sample Screens fromEIA’s web site

**EIA home page**
**Natural Gas Home Page**
**Natural Gas Data Publications**
**Natural Gas Monthly**

## EIA Home Pagewww.eia.doe.gov

**Select Natural Gas**

## Natural Gas Page

## Publications Page - Top

**Our data publications through**
**These links.  **

**I select “Natural Gas Monthly”**

## Annual Publications Section

## Natural Gas Monthly (1)

## Natural Gas Monthly (2)

**Tables are PDF as **
**Published and Excel**
**With historical data**