1542 ET - U.S. natural gas futures settle higher as expectations of a cold start to January combine with a second straight large weekly withdrawal from storage. Inventories decreased by 125 Bcf last week to 3,622 Bcf, the EIA reports, leaving storage 132 Bcf above the five-year average and 20 Bcf above a year ago. "The market is anticipating another short cold snap in the coming days followed by a subsequent warmup. From there, predictive models are pointing at a potential for another period of unseasonable cold in the populous Midwest and East," Andy Huenefeld of Pinebrook Energy Advisors says in a note. Weather forecasts remain volatile, but "could be setting the stage for a stronger withdrawal season than initially anticipated," he adds. The Nymex front month settles up 6.2% at $3.584/mmBtu. (anthony.harrup@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 19, 2024 15:42 ET (20:42 GMT)
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