The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a 43 Bcf injection into natural gas storage inventories for the week ending Aug. 14, a figure that was right in line with market expectations.

Natural gas futures, which were trading slightly lower ahead of the report, remained in the red after the data was released. At about 10:25 a.m. ET, the September Nymex contract was off 1.4 cents at $2.412/MMBtu and then slipped to $2.408 as the EIA print crossed trading desks. The prompt month went on to drop as low as $2.367 but by 11 a.m., was back at $2.414.

Bespoke Weather Services, which had projected a 42 Bcf build, said the EIA stat was reflective of a “notable” loosening in supply/demand balances in its model. Although the 43 Bcf injection was in line with most market...