The natural gas inventory report to be released at 10:30 a.m. ET on March 15 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration is expected to show a ramp-up in the rate of storage erosion for the week to March 9.
Market analysts and experts surveyed are calling for a storage withdrawal of 96 Bcf to 103 Bcf, with a consensus pegged at a 100-Bcf pull. The latest figure will be well above the 57-Bcf withdrawal reported the previous week as well as above both the 55-Bcf year-ago withdrawal and the 97-Bcf five-year average pull.

The 57-Bcf pull reported for the week ended March 2 brought total U.S. working gas supply to 1,625 Bcf, or 680 Bcf less than last year at this time and 300 Bcf below the five-year average of 1,925 Bcf.
Degree day data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that for the week to March 10 there were 16.1% more heating degree days than last year and 2.5% fewer than normal.

A withdrawal at consensus would drive the total working gas inventory to 1,525 Bcf, widen the year-on-year deficit to 725 Bcf and extend the year-on-five-year-average deficit to 303 Bcf.
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