-Natural gas futures closed lower Wednesday, with traders looking to get out of the market before the holiday and before unseasonably warm weather could damp demand. The front-month January contract settled down 4.8 cents, or 1.1%, at $4.355 a million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices have fallen in three of the last four sessions. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said Wednesday that stockpiles had shrunk by a November record of 162 billion cubic feet in the week ended Nov. 21. The draw was 13 bcf more than expected. That outsized drain on stockpiles would often boost prices, but they fell Wednesday afternoon. The holiday weekend likely played a large role, said John Woods, president of JJ Woods Associates and a Nymex floor trader. For as many people who may want to buy on strong demand, there are people who will […]