The natural gas inventory report to be released at 10:30 a.m. ET on Dec. 21 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration is expected to show a triple-digit pull for the week ended Dec. 15, as colder weather in many major consuming regions likely drove demand higher.
Market analysts and experts surveyed are calling for a storage pull from the low 160s to the low 180s, with a consensus pegged at a 173-Bcf pull. The latest figure will compare to the 200-Bcf year-ago withdrawal and the 125-Bcf five-year average pull.

For the week ended Dec. 8, the EIA reported a net 69 Bcf was pulled from natural gas storage in the Lower 48, leaving total U.S. working gas supply at 3,626 Bcf, 201 Bcf below the year-ago level and 27 Bcf below the five-year average storage level of 3,653 Bcf.
Degree day data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the review week Dec. 16 shows heating degree days were 1.5% higher than normal for the period.

During the week ended Dec. 13, much of which will be reflected in the upcoming storage report, total U.S. gas consumption jumped by 27% from the prior-week level, primarily driven by 50% surge in residential/commercial-sector demand as a cold front moved across the country, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's most recent "Natural Gas Weekly Update."
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