The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Thursday reported a withdrawal of 55 Bcf of natural gas from storage for the week ended Dec. 8, matching the figure modeled by NGI ahead of the report’s release. The draw was on par with most expectations.

January Nymex futures were higher on the day at around $2.393/MMBtu ahead of the 10:30 a.m. ET report. After the EIA print hit the screen, the contract drifted lower to $2.391. By 11:00 a.m. ET, the January Nymex contract was trading at $2.375, 4.0 cents above the prior day’s settlement, but well off earlier highs.

Ahead of the print, NGI modeled a 55 Bcf withdrawal. That compares with a five-year average withdrawal of 81 Bcf and a year-earlier draw of 46 Bcf.

[Want to know how global LNG demand impacts North American...