US Natgas Prices Surge to 25-Month High
US natural gas futures jumped nearly 5% to $4.3/MMBtu on Friday, the highest since December 2022, with weekly gains exceeding 16% as cold weather strained supply and boosted demand. Prices surged as an Arctic blast boosted heating demand while freezing oil and gas wells, disrupting production. Forecasts indicate colder-than-normal temperatures across the Lower 48 states through February 22, keeping consumption high. At the same time, output has dropped by 6.7 bcfd over the past 15 days to a four-week low of 100 bcfd on Thursday. Supply constraints worsened as gas flows to LNG export plants hit record levels, averaging 15.5 bcfd in February, up from 14.6 bcfd in January. Daily LNG feedgas set a new record of 16.4 bcfd on Wednesday, exceeding Tuesday’s 16.2 bcfd. Additionally, EIA data showed a larger-than-expected 196 bcf storage draw last week, much higher than the 100 bcf withdrawal in the prior period, further tightening supply.