Natural gas futures forged ahead most of Thursday, as they did every other session this week, bolstered by supply concerns and the potential for inadequate storage injections. Still, profit-taking in the final hour of trading shifted the prompt month into the red.

At A Glance:

  • Production falls to 97 Bcf/d
  • Forecasts for mixed demand
  • NGI models draw of 41 Bcf

The June Nymex gas futures contract settled at $8.308/MMBtu, down 6.0 cents day/day. July fell 5.5 cents to $8.400.

NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. shed 19.5 cents to $7.940 on Thursday, ending its own three-day rally.

Despite the late-session slump, demand drivers abound and analysts said bullish sentiment undergirds the market.

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached 13 Bcf on Thursday – a high for the month –...