Strong power burns and a three-day rally in Nymex natural gas futures lifted spot gas prices for the April 26-29 trading period, which covered gas delivery through April 30. West Coast markets led the way, boosting NGI’s Weekly Spot Gas National Avg. 8.5 cents to $2.700/MMBtu.

EIA storage April 23

The May Nymex futures contract, meanwhile, expired at $2.925 after three straight days of gains in the face of mild spring weather. Strong export demand carried the load for futures most of the week, but Thursday’s storage data led to a pullback for the new June prompt-month contract.

As for natural gas cash prices, West Coast markets started the week on solid footing as a late-season cold blast moved into the region. Temperatures dropped as much as 20 degrees below normal over the Great...