Analyst: Natural gas futures in the United States are on the rise.

The price of natural gas in the United States rose before the expiry of the April contract, but due to mild spring weather outlook, the increase is expected to be limited. The weekly inventory report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration yesterday showed that due to higher-than-usual withdrawals last week, the surplus inventory narrowed from 47 billion cubic feet to 14 billion cubic feet. Andy Huenefeld of Pinebrook Energy Advisors said in a report, "Although the surplus relative to historical benchmarks is narrowing, inventory is expected to be at healthy levels when summer arrives, and mild temperature forecasts still favor a strong start to injection season." The April contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose by 1.9% to $3.055 per million British thermal units, remaining relatively stable compared to a week ago.