For the first time all week, all markets were united on the samerising price page Friday. The Rockies and scattered other pointswere among the few failing to gain about 20 cents or more. NorthernCalifornia led the surge with PG&E citygate upticks of nearly$2.

“We’re finally getting some genuine heating load” returning tothe northern tier of states, remarked a Gulf Coast producer whonoted that temperatures weren’t getting much above freezing in aswath of territory from Montana through the Northeast. He alsothought some buyers were bidding up production-area prices in anattempt to cover short supply positions before bidweek gets underway.

Cash didn’t get much help from April gas futures, which roseslightly less than a nickel, the producer added. However, strongadvances in heating oil and crude oil futures were supportive, hesaid.

Until Friday the cash market had been a follower, not a leader,according to a Houston trader. Forecasters expect the northernchill to stick around through about Tuesday, he said.

But a marketer who sells primarily to utilities in the Southreported being unable to detect any utility or storage load at all.He said one electric utility in Texas had told him, “Don’t call usback until we give you the signal” that more gas was needed there.

The Southern California border was one of the more anemicmarkets in rising only about a dime, but remained way out in frontas the overall market’s price leader with an average slightly above$11. To the north, Malin was up about 90 cents, but that gain wasdwarfed by the one at the PG&E citygate. PG&E linepack isretreating from the utility’s maximum target levels, one tradersaid, and in addition maintenance at its McDonald Island storagefacility was due to end Saturday, which would enhance injectionflexibility.

A Calgary marketer quoting intra-Alberta numbers in the low tomid C$7.50s said the city was getting snow flurries again Friday.”It’s supposed to keep snowing off and on through the weekend,” shesaid.

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