Prices steady at 2-week low as storages hit key target early
Aug 21 (Reuters) -Dutch gas prices were little changed around two-week lows on Wednesday, as European gas storages hit a Nov. 1 target early and Russian gas flows remained steady, while heavy maintenance loomed in Norway.
The benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF hub TRNLTTFMc1 was down 0.10 euro at 38 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), or 12.38 $/mmBtu by 0838 GMT, according to LSEG data.
The contract shed 4.2% to a two-week low on Tuesday.
In the British market, the day-ahead contract TRGBNBPD1 was up 1.50 pence at 86.50 pence per therm, while the September contract TRGBNBPMc1 was down 0.75 pence at 92.75 p/therm.
"European gas storage is now more than 90% full and while risks to Russian pipeline flows via Ukraine remain, up until now these flows have been unaffected," analysts at ING said in a note.
The risk premium associated with fighting in Russia's Kursk region, home to the gas transit point of Sudzha, will continue to erode the longer there is no disruption to flows, they added.
Gas is still flowing into Ukraine via Sudzha and Russia's Gazprom GAZP.MM said it would send 42.4 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas to Europe via Ukraine on Wednesday, unchanged from Tuesday.
European gas storages have reached 90.02% full, hitting a Nov. 1 target two months early, Gas Infrastructure Europe data showed.
"This may help keep a lid on prices for that period, as any excess will not be able to be stored as easily, providing geopolitical activities do not escalate further," consultancy Auxilione said.
Meanwhile, the market is closely monitoring any updates to Norwegian planned maintenance schedules, which will cut pipeline deliveries by nearly 50% for most of September.
Revisions posted on Tuesday had resulted in a slight decrease in production capacity availability next month, LSEG analyst Wayne Bryan said in a morning note.
In the European carbon market, the benchmark contract CFI2Zc1 gained 0.56 euro to 73.63 euros a metric ton.
EXPLAINER-Is it the end for Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine? nL8N3JZ0H0
EXPLAINER-What happens if Russian gas transit via Ukraine stops? nL8N3JV0SH
Norwegian gas infrastructure maintenance https://reut.rs/4fO4kxi
Reporting by Nora Buli in Oslo; Editing by Varun H K
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