Natural Gas Rises To 3-Year High
US natural gas futures were above the $5/MMBtu mark, hovering at three-year highs and soaring 70% since the lows from mid-October amid a backdrop of soaring export demand. European countries extended their shun of Russian natural gas and confirmed the complete phase out of Russian LNG by the end of 2027. This coincided with fresh evidence that US LNG exports rose 40% annually in November to 10.7 million tonnes, even though producers continued increasing output. Demand was also underpinned by forecasts of a cold front at the start of the North American winter, led by lower temperatures in the Northeast and Great lakes. The latest EIA data showed that utilities withdrew 12 billion cubic feet of natural gas on the week ending November 28th, a third straight decrease to consolidate the start of the seasonal withdrawal season, albeit slightly above expectations that they would have dropped by 18 bcf.