1123 ET - The U.S. had net injections into natural gas storage of 44 billion cubic feet last week, putting inventories at 3,298 Bcf or 118 more than the five-year average, the EIA reports. The storage build was smaller than the 74 Bcf average for the week and reduced the surplus from 148 Bcf the week before. The injection was below the 49 Bcf estimate in a WSJ survey of analysts. Nymex natural gas futures are up 0.9% at $2.917/mmBtu.