UPDATE 1-US natgas prices climb 3% on warmer weather forecasts
Adds latest prices
By Scott DiSavino
NEW YORK, June 16 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% to a one-week high on Tuesday on forecasts for warmer weather and more gas demand this week than previously expected and a slow rise in gas flows to liquefied natural gas export plants.
Front-month gas futures for July delivery NGc1 on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 9.2 cents, or 2.9%, to settle at $3.239 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since June 4.
Looking ahead, the premium of futures for August over July NGN26-Q26 fell to around 2 cents per mmBtu, the lowest since June 2024.
In the cash market, spot prices for Tuesday at the Waha Hub NG-WAH-WTX-SNL in West Texas turned positive for the first time since early February as demand for the fuel rises with the coming of the summer air conditioning season and the startup of flows on Kinder Morgan's KMI.N Gulf Coast Express expansion pipe in Texas.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND:
Financial group LSEG said average gas output in the U.S. Lower 48 states has fallen to 109.3 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in June, down from 109.7 bcfd in May and a monthly record high of 110.6 bcfd in December 2025. The average so far for June is higher than the figure on Wednesday.
Meteorologists forecast the weather will remain mostly warmer than normal through July 1, which should boost the amount of gas that power generators burn to keep air conditioners humming. About 40% of U.S. power generation comes from gas-fired plants.
But with the coming of slightly cooler weather next week, LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would fall from 104.6 bcfd this week to 103.2 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was higher than LSEG's outlook on Monday.
Average gas flows to the nine big U.S. LNG export plants slid from 17.1 bcfd in May to 17.0 bcfd so far in June due to spring maintenance at several plants, including ExxonMobil XOM.N/QatarEnergy's Golden Pass facility and Freeport LNG's plant in Texas.
The average LNG feedgas for June was higher than on Monday and compares with a monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April.
In the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Potential Tropical Cyclone One may have formed off the coast of Texas.
Since most U.S. gas comes from shale formations located far from the Gulf of Mexico, however, energy analysts have said tropical storms tend to reduce gas demand more than output by knocking out power to homes and businesses and shutting LNG export plants.
|
Week ended Jun 12 Forecast |
Week ended Jun 5 Actual |
Year ago Jun 12 |
Five-year average (2021-2025) Jun 12 |
|
U.S. weekly natgas storage change (bcf): |
+82 |
+108 |
+97 |
+73 |
|
U.S. total natgas in storage (bcf): |
2,768 |
2,686 |
2,788 |
2,608 |
|
U.S. total storage versus 5-year average |
+6.1% |
+6.0% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Global Gas Benchmark Futures ($ per mmBtu) |
Current Day |
Prior Day |
This Month Last Year |
Prior Year Average 2025 |
Five-Year Average (2021-2025) |
Henry Hub NGc1 |
3.18 |
3.15 |
3.64 |
3.62 |
3.79 |
Title Transfer Facility (TTF) TRNLTTFMc1 |
14.44 |
14.38 |
12.38 |
11.94 |
18.51 |
Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) JKMc1 |
16.23 |
18.78 |
13.05 |
12.24 |
18.12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LSEG U.S. Global Forecast System (GFS) Heating, Cooling and Total Degree Days |
|
|
|
|
|
Two-Week Total Forecast |
Current Day |
Prior Day |
Prior Year |
10-Year Norm |
30-Year Norm |
U.S. GFS Heating Degree Days (HDD) |
7 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
U.S. GFS Cooling Degree Days (CDD) |
184 |
179 |
195 |
172 |
163 |
U.S. GFS Total Degree Days (TDD) |
191 |
186 |
204 |
181 |
173 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LSEG U.S. Weekly GFS Supply and Demand Forecasts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prior Week |
Current Week |
Next Week |
This Week Last Year |
Five-Year (2021-2025) Average for Month |
U.S. Supply (bcfd) |
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Lower 48 Dry Production |
109.0 |
110.3 |
110.7 |
106.8 |
100.6 |
U.S. Imports from Canada |
7.0 |
7.0 |
6.6 |
N/A |
7.7 |
U.S. LNG Imports |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Total U.S. Supply |
116.0 |
117.3 |
117.3 |
N/A |
108.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Demand (bcfd) |
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Exports to Canada |
2.1 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
N/A |
2.3 |
U.S. Exports to Mexico |
7.3 |
7.3 |
7.3 |
N/A |
6.7 |
U.S. LNG Export Feedgas |
16.6 |
17.8 |
18.0 |
14.1 |
12.0 |
U.S. Commercial |
4.5 |
4.4 |
4.3 |
4.4 |
5.0 |
U.S. Residential |
3.7 |
3.7 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
4.2 |
U.S. Power Plant |
39.3 |
39.9 |
38.4 |
38.8 |
39.1 |
U.S. Industrial |
21.6 |
21.7 |
21.6 |
22.2 |
21.8 |
U.S. Plant Fuel |
5.4 |
5.4 |
5.5 |
5.4 |
5.2 |
U.S. Pipe Distribution |
2.0 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
3.0 |
U.S. Vehicle Fuel |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
Total U.S. Consumption |
76.7 |
77.2 |
75.6 |
76.7 |
78.5 |
Total U.S. Demand |
102.7 |
104.6 |
103.2 |
N/A |
99.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
N/A = Not Available |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Northwest River Forecast Center (NWRFC) at The Dalles Dam (fiscal year ending September 30) |
2026 Current Day % of Normal Forecast |
2026 Prior Day % of Normal Forecast |
2025 % of Normal Actual |
2024 % of Normal Actual |
2023 % of Normal Actual |
Apr-Sep |
85 |
86 |
76 |
74 |
83 |
Jan-Jul |
90 |
90 |
78 |
76 |
77 |
Oct-Sep |
95 |
95 |
80 |
77 |
76 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. weekly power generation percent by fuel - EIA |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Week ended Jun 19 |
Week ended June 12 |
2025 |
2024 |
2023 |
Wind |
10 |
13 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
Solar |
9 |
9 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
Hydro |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
Other |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Petroleum |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Natural Gas |
40 |
39 |
40 |
42 |
41 |
Coal |
15 |
15 |
18 |
16 |
17 |
Nuclear |
18 |
18 |
18 |
19 |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SNL U.S. Natural Gas Next-Day Prices ($ per mmBtu) |
|
|
|
|
|
Hub |
Current Day |
Prior Day |
This Month Last Year |
Prior Year Average 2025 |
Five-Year Average (2021-2025) |
Henry Hub NG-W-HH-SNL |
3.06 |
3.06 |
3.12 |
3.52 |
3.72 |
Transco Z6 New York NG-CG-NY-SNL |
2.24 |
2.40 |
2.34 |
3.53 |
3.56 |
PG&E Citygate NG-CG-PGE-SNL |
2.24 |
1.71 |
3.12 |
3.42 |
5.47 |
Eastern Gas (formerly Dominion South) NG-PCN-APP-SNL |
2.10 |
2.30 |
2.17 |
2.79 |
2.96 |
Chicago Citygate NG-CG-CH-SNL |
2.66 |
2.65 |
2.76 |
3.23 |
3.60 |
Algonquin Citygate NG-CG-BS-SNL |
2.77 |
2.90 |
2.97 |
6.08 |
5.04 |
SoCal Citygate NG-SCL-CGT-SNL |
3.55 |
2.78 |
3.59 |
3.60 |
5.71 |
Waha Hub NG-WAH-WTX-SNL |
0.42 |
-0.08 |
1.75 |
1.15 |
2.88 |
AECO NG-ASH-ALB-SNL |
1.25 |
1.24 |
0.64 |
1.13 |
2.13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) U.S. Power Next-Day Prices ($ per megawatt-hour) |
|
|
|
|
|
Hub |
Current Day |
Prior Day |
This Month Last Year |
Prior Year Average 2025 |
Five-Year Average (2021-2025) |
New England E-NEPLMHP-IDX |
47.68 |
93.78 |
60.18 |
77.61 |
61.79 |
PJM West E-PJWHRTP-IX |
35.45 |
44.31 |
70.06 |
60.23 |
54.47 |
Mid-Columbia (Mid C) W-MIDCP-IDX |
3.79 |
33.66 |
42.59 |
44.81 |
68.96 |
Palo Verde W-PVP-IDX |
34.00 |
30.43 |
38.53 |
34.82 |
59.94 |
South Path-15 (SP-15) W-SP15-IDX |
26.56 |
17.15 |
22.51 |
28.44 |
53.02 |