Only 32 Bcf of natural gas was injected into storage for the week ended July 15, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Thursday. The print fell far short of expectations amid inventory decreases in a South Central region barraged by unrelenting heat.

Median estimates of major surveys ahead of the print hung in the mid- to high-40s Bcf. As a result, Nymex natural gas futures advanced on the news.

After spiking 74.3 cents on Wednesday, the August natural gas futures contract was down 22.9 cents at $7.778/MMBtu prior to the 10:30 a.m. ET report.

[Want to know how global LNG demand impacts North American fundamentals? To find out, subscribe to NGI’s Daily Gas Price Index]

The prompt month, however, jumped a few cents into the green when the EIA data was...