Natural gas futures pulled back in early trading Thursday as the market awaited the release of updated government inventory data, expected to show a build in line with historical norms. The June Nymex contract was down 17.3 cents to $7.467/MMBtu at around 8:50 a.m. ET.

Surveys suggest the Energy Information Administration (EIA) will reveal a net injection in the high 70s or low 80s Bcf when it releases its latest weekly storage report at 10:30 a.m. ET. 

Bloomberg’s survey spanned estimates of 64 Bcf to 85 Bcf, and landed at a median expectation for an injection of 81 Bcf. A Reuters poll produced a 78 Bcf median; predictions ranged from 68 Bcf to 85 Bcf for the upcoming report, which covers the week ended May 6.

EIA recorded a 70 Bcf build for the year-earlier period, and...