US natural gas prices jump about 5% to 26-month high on record LNG flows

By Scott DiSavino

March 4 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures jumped about 5% to a 26-month high on Tuesday on record flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants and forecasts for higher demand next week than previously expected.

Front-month gas futures NGc1 for April delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange were up 18.5 cents, or 4.5%, to $4.307 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) at 8:50 a.m. EST (1350 GMT), putting the contract on track for its highest close since December 30, 2022.

The price increase occurred despite near-record output and forecasts for the weather to remain mild through the middle of March, which should allow utilities to pull less gas out of storage in coming weeks.

Extreme cold weather earlier this year, however, already has forced energy firms to pull massive amounts of gas out of storage, including record amounts in January, cutting stockpiles to around 12% below the five-year (2020-2024) normal. EIA/GAS NGAS/POLL

Looking forward, the premium of futures for March over April 2026 NGH26-J26 rose to a 14-month high on Tuesday. Some analysts said that it signals the market is betting energy firms will have a tough time rebuilding stockpiles to normal levels by the winter of 2025-2026, which could cause prices to spike during the winter months if the weather turns extremely cold.

March is the last month of the winter storage withdrawal season and April is the first month of the summer storage injection season. Since gas is primarily a winter heating fuel, traders have said summer should not trade above winter because demand for the fuel is generally higher during winter months.

The industry calls the March-April spread the "widow maker" because rapid price moves on changing weather forecasts have forced some speculators out of business, including the Amaranth hedge fund, which lost more than $6 billion in 2006.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Financial company LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states has risen to 105.6 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in March, up from a record 104.7 bcfd in February.

On a daily basis, output was on track to decline by 1.8 bcfd over the past four days to a preliminary 104.7 bcfd on Tuesday, down from a three-week high of 106.5 bcfd on February 28. That compares with an all-time daily high of 106.7 on February 6.

Meteorologists projected weather in the Lower 48 states would remain mostly warmer than normal through March 19.

With milder weather coming, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, will fall from 118.8 bcfd this week to 115.2 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Monday, while its forecast for next week was higher.

The amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants has held at an average of 15.6 bcfd so far in March, the same as February's record high, as new units at Venture Global's VG.N 3.2-bcfd Plaquemines LNG export plant under construction in Louisiana enter service.

On a daily basis, LNG feedgas was on track to fall to a preliminary three-week low of 15.2 bcfd on Tuesday on small declines at several export plants. That compares with an all-time daily high of 16.4 bcfd on February 23.