SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Natural-gas futures climbed Thursday after the Energy Information Administration reported a fall in U.S. inventories that was larger than expected. Supplies fell 127 billion cubic feet for the week ended Feb. 15, the EIA said. Analysts polled by Platts forecast a decline between 117 billion and 121 billion cubic feet. Total stocks now stand at 2.4 trillion cubic feet, down 242 billion cubic feet from the year-ago level and 361 billion cubic feet above the five-year average, the government said. March natural gas /quotes/zigman/2294272 NGH13 +0.40% was at $3.32 per million British thermal units, up almost 4 cents, or 1.1%. It was trading nearly flat at $3.28 shortly before the data.
