A bump in estimated liquefied natural gas (LNG) export demand, alongside predictions of a below-average injection from the latest government storage report, helped lift gas futures in early trading Thursday. The October Nymex contract was up 3.7 cents to $2.523/MMBtu at around 8:45 a.m. ET.

AM markets

Interstate pipeline flow data from Genscape Inc. early Thursday showed a 385 MMcf/d increase day/day in feed gas flows to U.S. LNG export terminals, with volumes climbing to 3.43 Bcf/d as of the evening cycle. The firm attributed the increased demand to a 268 MMcf/d uptick in flows to the Freeport LNG terminal and a 121 MMcf/d increase in volumes headed toward Cheniere Energy Inc.’s Corpus Christi facility. 

“Currently, evening cycle nominations suggest Cameron LNG and Cheniere’s Sabine...