EIA data show a smaller-than-expected fall in U.S. natural-gas supplies

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Thursday that domestic natural-gas supplies fell by 51 billion cubic feet for the week ended March 18. That compared with the average weekly decline of 62 billion cubic feet forecast by analysts surveyed by S&P Global Commodity Insights. Total supplies in storage stand at 1.389 trillion cubic feet, down 366 billion cubic feet from a year ago and 293 billion cubic feet below the five-year average, the government said. Following the data, April natural gas fell 8.4 cents, or 1.6%, at $5.148 per million British thermal units. Prices traded at $5.159 before the supply data.

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