US natural gas supplies fell last week

[December 02, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- The nation's natural gas supplies fell last week, the government said Thursday.

The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report that natural gas in storage shrank by 1 billion cubic feet to 3.851 trillion cubic feet for the week ended Nov. 25.

Analysts expected an increase of 9 billion to 13 billion cubic feet, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

The inventory level was 7.3 percent above the five-year average of 3.590 trillion cubic feet, and 1.1 percent above last year's level of 3.810 trillion cubic feet, according to the government data.

Natural gas futures rose 14 cents to $3.69 per 1,000 cubic feet in New York.

[Associated Press]

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