The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Thursday reported an injection of 41 Bcf natural gas into storage for the week ended July 14. The result fell shy of median expectations in polls and further fueled upward momentum for Nymex natural gas futures.

At A Glance:

Natural gas futures lost ground on Wednesday, despite intense near-term heat and lower production estimates. Coming off an 11.7-cent gain, the August Nymex gas futures contract shed 2.6 cents day/day and settled at $2.603/MMBtu. September fell 3.3 cents to $2.585.

NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. declined 5.0 cents to $2.540 as relatively high but volatile prices in the West cooled...