Natural-gas futures plunged Thursday after a government report showed a smaller-than-expected withdrawal last week, fueling fears over the high-levels of gas storage. Futures for February delivery fell 5.7% to settle at $2.139 a million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said that stockpiles fell 168 billion cubic feet in the week ended Jan. 8, a smaller withdrawal than the 175 billion that was expected among analysts and traders surveyed by The Wall Street Journal. Mild temperatures in late 2015 kept demand for natural gas subdued, weighing on prices and pushing inventories well above the average levels. Cold weather boosts demand for natural gas, which is used as the primary heating fuel in half of U.S. households. “The 168 (billion cubic feet) in net withdrawals was… a minor bearish surprise that suggests at least a modest weakening of the background supply/demand balance,” […]