Heading into a potentially volatile session featuring the release of updated government inventory data and the front month contract expiration, natural gas futures were trading slightly lower early Thursday.

The expiring November Nymex contract was unchanged at $5.606/MMBtu at around 8:45 a.m. ET, while the December contract was off 2.8 cents to $6.091.

Surveys ahead of the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 10:30 a.m. ET storage report have been pointing to a somewhat lighter-than-average injection in the upper 50s to low 60s Bcf for the week ended Oct. 21.

A Reuters poll of 13 analysts had injection estimates ranging from 55 Bcf to 82 Bcf, with a median forecast of a 58 Bcf build. A Bloomberg survey produced a tighter range of estimates, with a median injection of...