As traders awaited the latest round of government inventory data, expected to show a below-average injection into U.S. stocks, natural gas futures hovered close to even early Thursday. 

After plunging 30.3 cents in the previous session, the October Nymex contract was down 2.7 cents to $7.815/MMBtu as of around 8:50 a.m. ET.

Surveys ahead of the latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) storage report show expectations clustering around a build in the mid-50s Bcf. The 10:30 a.m. ET report covers net changes to U.S. natural gas stockpiles during the week ended Sept. 2.

Results of Bloomberg’s survey showed a median injection projection of 56 Bcf, with estimates ranging from 47 Bcf to 66 Bcf. Reuters’ poll produced injection estimates that spanned 47 Bcf to 59 Bcf. It...