Natural-gas prices beefed up Tuesday as a new government forecast projected stockpiles, currently at 11-year lows, would stand at their lowest level since 2005 heading into next winter. Natural gas for May delivery settled up 5.8 cents, or 1.3%, at $4.534 a million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Natural-gas supplies will total 3.422 trillion cubic feet by the end of October, the lowest pre-winter level in nine years, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Tuesday. The five-year average for the last week of October is 3.832 tcf. Frigid temperatures this past winter have eaten away at natural-gas stockpiles amid record demand for the heating fuel. About half of all U.S. households use natural gas as their primary heating fuel, according to the EIA. Inventories stood at 822 billion cubic feet as of March 28, the lowest level since 2003. Natural-gas stocks […]