Utilities injected 60 Bcf of natural gas into underground storage during the week ended April 30, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on Thursday.

EIA storage April 30

The result came in bullish relative to analysts’ estimates, providing Nymex natural gas futures a modest bump. Temperatures were cooler throughout the Midwest during the covered week, fueling heating demand and partly offsetting mild temperatures elsewhere. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) export levels hovered near record levels during the period as well.  

Minutes before the EIA report was released at 10:30 ET, the June contract was flat with the prior day’s close at $2.938/MMBtu. The prompt month shed a penny when the EIA data was released, but by 11 a.m. ET, it had climbed 1.9 cents to...