Lower 48 natural gas storage operators injected a net 78 Bcf into their facilities during the week to June 29, above the five-year-average injection of 70 Bcf, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported.

The build brought total Lower 48 working gas supply to 2,152 Bcf, or 717 Bcf below the year-ago level and 493 Bcf below the five-year-average.

By region:

* In the East, inventories were up 30 Bcf on the week at 460 Bcf, down 18% from the year before.

* In the Midwest, storage levels were up 30 Bcf at 455 Bcf, down 35% from a year ago.

* In the Mountain region, stockpiles grew 6 Bcf at 139 Bcf, 26% under the year-ago level.

* In the Pacific region, storage levels rose 6 Bcf at 257 Bcf, 10% under the year-ago level.

* In the South Central region, inventories grew 6 Bcf at 841 Bcf, 26% under a year ago.

Of that total, 245 Bcf of gas was in salt cavern facilities and 596 Bcf was in non-salt-cavern facilities. Working gas stocks fell 3% in salt cavern facilities from the previous week and were up 2% in non-salt-cavern facilities.