NYMEX  May  natural  gas  futures  declined  overnight  ahead  of Monday's open, as abating 

weather-related demand support reflected more on the market than did the below-average en 

d-of-withdrawal-season inventory level. 

At 6:40 a.m. ET the contract was down 2.1 cents at $2.680/MMBtu. 

Previous estimates from the US Energy Information Administration put working natural gas in 

storage ending the traditional withdrawal season at 1,356 Bcf on March 31, or 17% below the 

five-year average. 

Total working gas stocks already sit at 1,354 Bcf as of the week ended March 30, however, af

ter the EIA detailed a net 29 Bcf withdrawal for the week in review. 

Current  inventories  are  697  Bcf below the year-ago level and 347 Bcf below the five-year 

average. 

Although colder conditions have lingered and remain dominant in mid-range forecasts, higher 

low temperatures associated with the calendar have meant diminished demand support.