Should the United States have a Strategic Natural Gas Reserve, like its Strategic Petroleum Reserve? Some gas industry members say a reserve is not needed. Others aren't confident the government would properly run it, if one was developed. And, some say infrastructure is insufficient to move the gas from this hypothetical reserve to whichever market happens to need it at the moment. Peggy Laramie, spokesman for the American Gas Association, is among those who believe a reserve is unnecessary. "[There is] no need for a 'strategic natural gas reserve,' since the natural gas industry has invested more than $2 billion during the last 10 years developing and maintaining 410 natural gas storage facilities," she says. Paul Holtberg, Gas Technology Institute group manager, says, "Frankly, I've never heard of the idea. However, remember there is already about 3 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of working-gas storage [capacity] and another 4.5 Tcf of base gas in storage." The AGA's weekly report on U.S. natural gas in storage is a count of working gas. It is said in the industry that it is uncertain how much of the base gas can be easily withdrawn, or without damaging the reservoirs. The AGA reported Jan. 5 that working gas in storage totaled 1.56 trillion cubic feet, compared with 2.32 Tcf a year earlier. Adam Sieminski, global oil and gas analyst for Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown, said Jan. 11 that working gas in storage could decline to 300 Bcf by winter's end, at the current pace of withdrawal. Bob Morris, E&P analyst with Salomon Smith Barney , estimated, in late December, it will total 600 Bcf. Energy consulting firm Cambridge Energy Research Associates projected at about the same time that just normal weather the rest of this winter would result in 488 Bcf in storage. "At a U.S. inventory level that low, many storage operators would be dipping into base gas-gas which normally remains in place to support storage reservoir pressure-in order to ensure that service even to firm gas customers continues," CERA reported. While natural gas will be "available" during the rest of this winter, some in the gas industry were questioning whether it would be available in sufficient supply to all markets. Another issue is whether there will be sufficient supply to maintain pipeline pressure.