NEW YORK: US natural gas futures fell about 4percent to an eight-week low on Friday on forecasts for less hot weather than previously expected over the next two weeks, an expected decline in flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants during maintenance at Freeport LNG in Texas, and ample amounts of gas in storage.
Front-month gas futures for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 12.4 cents, or 4.1percent, to USD2.888 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), putting the contract on track for its lowest close since May 13.
That pushed the front-month into technically oversold territory for the first time since late April and put the contract on track to decline for a third week in a row for the first time since February. The contract was down about 9percent so far this week.
For the year, futures for calendar 2027 fell to USD3.35 per mmBtu, their lowest since February 2022.
Financial group LSEG said average gas output in the US Lower 48 states slid to 109.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in July, down from 110.0 bcfd in June and a monthly record high of 110.6 bcfd in December 2025.
Analysts said mostly mild weather during the spring allowed energy firms to stockpile more gas than usual. They projected the amount of gas in inventories would hold at 6.6percent above normal during the week ended July 10, the same as the previous week.
Meteorologists forecast the weather would remain mostly warmer than normal through July 25, keeping the amount of gas power generators burn high as homes and businesses crank up air conditioners. About 40percent of US power generation comes from gas-fired plants.
LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would slide from 110.8 bcfd this week to 110.5 bcfd next week and 110.3 bcfd in two weeks. The forecasts for this week and next were higher than LSEG’s outlook on Thursday.
Average gas flows to the nine big US LNG export plants rose to 17.8 bcfd so far in July, up from 17.4 bcfd in June, but remain below the monthly record high of 18.8 bcfd in April.
That increase in average LNG feedgas came even with the reduction in flows to Freeport LNG’s 2.4-bcfd export plant in Texas for planned work from July 10-late August.
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