U.S. energy companies extracted 166 billion cubic feet of natural gas from domestic reserves, reducing the total stock to 3,413 billion cubic feet for the week ending December 19. This withdrawal was in line with market projections. It marks the sixth consecutive week of the natural gas withdrawal season, mirroring the schedule from last year as colder weather boosts demand for natural gas heating nationwide. Following this reduction, natural gas storage is now 3.6% lower compared to the same period last year, and has shifted to being 0.7% below the current five-year average.