Leticia Gonzales

After five straight weeks of steep declines, natural gas forward prices stabilized and even posted a modest overall gain for both February and March contracts, while summer and next winter prices were up by the double digits, according to NGI’s Forward Look.

As midstream companies like Enbridge Inc. begin racing to develop deepwater export terminals along the Gulf Coast to accommodate very large crude carriers (VLCC), federal authorities have upped their efforts to deepen the country’s largest export port as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded its first contract last week for the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project.

Emerge Energy Services LP unit Superior Silica has contracted to supply sand from its in-basin mine in San Antonio for Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s growing fracture/completions program in the Eagle Ford Shale under a new agreement, the company said Monday.

February natural gas early Monday struggled to hold onto recent gains as long-range weather models were slow to show sustained cold moving into the country. The Nymex February gas futures contract was trading at $2.965, down 7.9 cents, just before 9 a.m. ET.

Train 2 at Cheniere Energy Inc.’s Corpus Christi liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility is one step closer to entering commercial operation after federal authorities last week approved the introduction of gas and commissioning of the fuel gas system at the Texas Gulf Coast facility.

Europe, specifically the northwest part of the continent, will have to absorb the surplus liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies expected to hit the market this year as an economic slowdown, a more thoughtful approach on coal-to-gas switching and increased domestic infrastructure availability will lead to slower demand in China, according to Wood Mackenzie.

Natural gas futures prices were slightly stronger early Friday as weather models showed colder weather moving in for the second half of January, especially in key demand centers of the country. The Nymex February gas futures contract was trading 7.5 cents higher at $3.02 with the market also awaiting fresh storage data, which was expected to reflect deficits that continue to tighten because of recent mild weather.

Federal authorities started off the new year with approvals for a pair of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-related projects that indicate more U.S. exports this year.

February natural gas dipped slightly into the red early Thursday as the market continued to wait for more sustained cold weather. The Nymex February gas futures contract was trading at $2.922, down 3.6 cents, just before 9 a.m. ET.