Canadian Inventories Increase From April to May

Canada’s primary underground propane inventories increased by 24.7% in May, Canada Energy Regulator (CER). The total represented a month-to-month increase of 177.7 Mcm. Compared to a year earlier, stocks were higher, with 179 Mcm, or 25%, more product on hand.

Propane storages in the West started May higher at 685.9 Mcm, which corresponds to 4.3 MMbbl, the agency reported. From April to May, volumes increased by 138.6 Mcm, or 25.3%, and were 210.7 more the year prior’s level of 475.2 Mcm.

Propane storages in the East started May higher at 210.1, commensurate with 1.3 MMbbl. This gain put propane 38.9 Mcm, or 22.7%, higher for the month, with a decrease of 31.8, or 13.1% below a year earlier.

Canadian butane inventories stood at 537.1 Mcm at the beginning of May, for an increase of 116.8 Mcm, or 27.8%, from April. Like propane, the year-over-year comparison finds butane volumes to be lower than the prior year’s total, with inventories 182.7 Mcm, or 25.4%, below 2023.

Western butane supplies, at 386.4 Mcm, were higher by 78.1 Mcm, or 25.3%, from the previous months and were 107.6 Mcm, or 21.8%, less than last year. Eastern butane, at 150.7 Mcm, was 38.7 Mcm, or 34.6%, higher month over month, and totaled 75.2 Mcm, or 33.3%, below a year earlier.