09:47 AM EDT, 05/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Natural gas held steady early on Friday amid a big rise in inventories and as forecasts call for cooler than seasonal weather for most markets.

Gas for June delivery was last seen down US$0.01 to US$3.35 per million British thermal units.

The drop comes a day after the Energy Information Administration reported stocks of the fuel rose by 110-billion cubic feet last week. While the build matched expectations, it is the highest increase in inventories for the week in the last six years, leaving stocks at 2.56-trillion cubic feet, 2.6% above the five-year average.

Long-term forecasts are offering scant support for the fuel, with the National Weather Service's six to 14 day outlook seeing temperatures in the big markets of the Northeast and Midwest below seasonal over the period, checking cooling demand.