US natural gas futures eased about one per cent on Thursday on near-record output and ample amounts of gas in storage despite near-historic flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants and forecasts for colder weather and higher demand over the next two weeks than previously expected.
The price decline also came despite a federal storage report that showed energy firms pulled gas out of storage for the first time this winter during last week’s cold weather.
Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 3.7 cents, or 0.8 per cent, to $4.513 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) at 10:33 EST (15:33 GMT).
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) said energy firms pulled 14 billion cubic feet (bcf) of gas out of storage during the week ended November 14.
That was in line with the 13-bcf draw analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with an increase of three bcf during the same week last year and an average build of 12 bcf over the past five years (2020-2024).
LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 states rose to 109.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in November, up from 107.3 bcfd in October and a record monthly high of 108.3 bcfd in August. Record output so far this year has allowed energy companies to stockpile more gas than usual.
There was about four per cent more gas in storage than normal for this time of year. Meteorologists forecast temperatures across the country will remain warmer than normal through November 26 before turning colder than normal from November 28 to December 5.
LSEG projected average gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would hold around 118.1 bcfd this week and next.
Those forecasts were higher than LSEG’s outlook on Wednesday. The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big US LNG export plants operating in the US rose to 18 bcfd so far in November, up from a record 16.6 bcfd in October.
In other LNG news, the Imsaikah LNG vessel continued to move across the Atlantic Ocean to Exxon Mobil/ QatarEnergy’s 2.4-bcfd Golden Pass LNG export plant under construction in Texas, according to LSEG data and analysts’ comments.
The ship, expected to arrive at Golden Pass around November 29, is carrying LNG from Qatar that traders and analysts say will be used to cool equipment as part of the commissioning of the plant. The facility is expected to start producing LNG later this year or early next year.
The United States became the world’s biggest LNG producer in 2023, surpassing Australia and Qatar, as surging global prices fed demand for more exports, due in part to supply disruptions and sanctions linked to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Around the world, gas traded near $11 per mmBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility benchmark in Europe and at a two-month high of $12 at the Japan Korea Marker benchmark in Asia.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)