US natgas prices ease on rising output, lower LNG feedgas
Adds latest prices
By Scott DiSavino
July 10 (Reuters) -U.S. natural gas futures eased about 1% on Wednesday on recent increases in output, a drop in the amount of gas flowing to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants after Freeport LNG in Texas shut for Hurricane Beryl and a tremendous surplus of gas in storage for this time of year.
That price decline was limited by forecasts for more demand over the next two weeks than previously expected as a brutal heat wave will continue to blanket much of the country through at least late July, stoking demand for air conditioning and forcing power generators to burn more gas.
Analysts said gas stockpiles were about 18% above normal levels. EIA/GAS NGAS/POLL
One factor depressing power demand this week was the roughly 1.6 million homes and businesses still without power in Texas on Wednesday in the wake of Hurricane Beryl.
Front-month gas futures NGc1 for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 1.5 cents, or 0.6%, to settle at $2.329 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), keeping the contract in technically oversold territory for a second day in a row.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Financial firm LSEG said gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to an average of 102.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in July, up from an average of 100.2 bcfd in June and a 17-month low of 99.5 bcfd in May. U.S. output hit a monthly record high of 105.5 bcfd in December 2023.
Several producers cut output after prices fell to a 3-1/2-year low in February and March. A price recovery in April and May, however, prompted some producers, including EQT EQT.N and Chesapeake Energy CHK.O, to start pulling more gas out of the ground. On a daily basis, output hit a 17-week high of 103.0 bcfd on Sunday.
EQT is the nation's biggest gas producer, and Chesapeake is on track to become the biggest after its planned merger with Southwestern Energy SWN.N.
Meteorologists projected weather across the Lower 48 states would remain hotter than normal through at least July 25.
With hotter weather expected next week, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will rise from 106.1 bcfd this week to 107.0 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday.
Gas flows to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants fell to 12.2 bcfd so far in July after Freeport LNG in Texas shut ahead of Hurricane Beryl on Sunday, down from 12.8 bcfd in June and a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023.
Sources told Reuters that Freeport LNG would likely restart by Thursday.
The U.S. became the world's biggest LNG supplier in 2023, ahead of recent leaders Australia and Qatar, as much higher global prices fed demand for more exports due in part to supply disruptions and sanctions linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
With worries about Hurricane Beryl receding, gas prices fell to a seven-week low of around $10 per mmBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) benchmark in Europe TRNLTTFMc1 and a three-week low of $12 at the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) benchmark in Asia JKMc1. NG/EU
Week ended July 5 Forecast | Week ended June 28 Actual | Year ago July 5 | Five-year average July 5 | ||
U.S. weekly natgas storage change (bcf): | +55 | +32 | +57 | +57 | |
U.S. total natgas in storage (bcf): | 3,189 | 3,134 | 2,915 | 2,695 | |
U.S. total storage versus 5-year average | 18.3% | 18.8% | |||
Global Gas Benchmark Futures ($ per mmBtu) | Current Day | Prior Day | This Month Last Year | Prior Year Average 2023 | Five-Year Average (2018-2022) |
Henry Hub NGc1 | 2.38 | 2.34 | 2.64 | 2.66 | 3.60 |
Title Transfer Facility (TTF) TRNLTTFMc1 | 9.99 | 9.85 | 9.58 | 13.04 | 14.39 |
Japan Korea Marker (JKM) JKMc1 | 12.37 | 12.39 | 11.44 | 14.39 | 14.31 |
LSEG Heating (HDD), Cooling (CDD) and Total (TDD) Degree Days | |||||
Two-Week Total Forecast | Current Day | Prior Day | Prior Year | 10-Year Norm | 30-Year Norm |
U.S. GFS HDDs | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
U.S. GFS CDDs | 261 | 267 | 226 | 211 | 204 |
U.S. GFS TDDs | 264 | 270 | 229 | 214 | 207 |
LSEG U.S. Weekly GFS Supply and Demand Forecasts | |||||
Prior Week | Current Week | Next Week | This Week Last Year | Five-Year (2019-2023) Average For Month | |
U.S. Supply (bcfd) | |||||
U.S. Lower 48 Dry Production | 102.0 | 103.5 | 102.2 | 102.1 | 95.5 |
U.S. Imports from Canada | 8.l | 8.2 | 7.3 | N/A | 7.8 |
U.S. LNG Imports | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
Total U.S. Supply | 110.0 | 110.5 | 109.5 | N/A | 112.5 |
U.S. Demand (bcfd) | |||||
U.S. Exports to Canada | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | N/A | 2.3 |
U.S. Exports to Mexico | 6.6 | 6.8 | 6.8 | N/A | 6.1 |
U.S. LNG Exports | 12.4 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 13.0 | 8.6 |
U.S. Commercial | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.5 |
U.S. Residential | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
U.S. Power Plant | 41.9 | 49.5 | 50.0 | 44.5 | 43.3 |
U.S. Industrial | 21.6 | 21.6 | 21.7 | 21.3 | 21.3 |
U.S. Plant Fuel | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.9 |
U.S. Pipe Distribution | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
U.S. Vehicle Fuel | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Total U.S. Consumption | 78.5 | 86.4 | 87.1 | 81.3 | 79.9 |
Total U.S. Demand | 99.1 | 106.1 | 107.0 | N/A | 96.9 |
N/A is Not Available | |||||
U.S. Northwest River Forecast Center (NWRFC) at The Dalles Dam | Current Day % of Normal Forecast | Prior Day % of Normal Forecast | 2023 % of Normal Actual | 2022 % of Normal Actual | 2021 % of Normal Actual |
Apr-Sep | 75 | 75 | 83 | 107 | 81 |
Jan-Jul | 76 | 76 | 77 | 102 | 79 |
Oct-Sep | 78 | 78 | 76 | 103 | 81 |
U.S. weekly power generation percent by fuel - EIA | |||||
Week ended Jul 12 | Week ended Jul 5 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
Wind | 5 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Solar | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
Hydro | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
Other | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Petroleum | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Natural Gas | 47 | 43 | 41 | 38 | 37 |
Coal | 18 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 23 |
Nuclear | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 |
SNL U.S. Natural Gas Next-Day Prices ($ per mmBtu) | |||||
Hub | Current Day | Prior Day | |||
Henry Hub NG-W-HH-SNL | 2.42 | 2.10 | |||
Transco Z6 New York NG-CG-NY-SNL | 1.96 | 2.01 | |||
PG&E Citygate NG-CG-PGE-SNL | 3.18 | 2.49 | |||
Eastern Gas (old Dominion South) NG-PCN-APP-SNL | 1.60 | 1.61 | |||
Chicago Citygate NG-CG-CH-SNL | 1.92 | 1.89 | |||
Algonquin Citygate NG-CG-BS-SNL | 2.09 | 2.08 | |||
SoCal Citygate NG-SCL-CGT-SNL | 2.74 | 1.92 | |||
Waha Hub NG-WAH-WTX-SNL | 1.91 | 0.92 | |||
AECO NG-ASH-ALB-SNL | 0.75 | 0.53 | |||
SNL U.S. Power Next-Day Prices ($ per megawatt-hour) | |||||
Hub | Current Day | Prior Day | |||
New England EL-PK-NPMS-SNL | 123.00 | 79.50 | |||
PJM West EL-PK-PJMW-SNL | 98.75 | 102.75 | |||
Ercot North EL-PK-ERTN-SNL | 28.25 | 30.50 | |||
Mid C EL-PK-MIDC-SNL | 102.67 | 152.50 | |||
Palo Verde EL-PK-PLVD-SNL | 129.00 | 72.25 | |||
SP-15 EL-PK-SP15-SNL | 112.00 | 69.50 |
Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by David Gregorio and Josie Kao
For gas data on LSEG's Eikon type ENERGY in the search bar and then go to the GAS drop down and the NORTH AMERICA drop down.
For Interactive Map, type 'Interactive Map' in the box at upper left of the Eikon terminal
For graphics on Baker Hughes rig counts, see: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/rigcount/index.html
For next-day SNL U.S. gas prices, see: 0#SNL-NG
For next-day SNL U.S. power prices, see: 0#SNL-PWR
For U.S. natgas price and storage polls, see: NGAS/POLL
For U.S. nuclear power outages, see: NUKE/
For U.S. Northwest hydro power report, see: NWRFC
For U.S./Canada natural gas rig count vs Henry Hub futures price, see: http://tmsnrt.rs/2eT9k44
For the U.S. natural gas speed guide, see: USGAS
For the U.S. power speed guide, see: USPOWER
To determine CFTC managed money net position add (NYMEX Henry Hub options and futures combined 3023651MNET) plus (ICE Henry Hub options and futures combined 3023391MNET divided by four) plus (NYMEX Henry Hub swaps options and futures combined 303565BMNET divided by four) plus (NYMEX Henry Hub penultimate gas swaps 303565CMNET divided by four)
NYMEX Henry Hub options and futures combined 0#3CFTC023651
NYMEX Henry Hub futures only 0#1CFTC023651
ICE Henry Hub options and futures combined 0#3CFTC023391
NYMEX Henry Hub swaps options and futures combined 0#3CFTC03565B
NYMEX Henry Hub Penultimate gas swaps 0#3CFTC03565C
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