Flat pricing dominated much of the swing market Monday, butquotes ranged to about a nickel higher in the Midcontinent/Midwestand Southwest/California regions. Colder Midwest weather and a bitof chill on the West Coast built up some extra demand in thosemarkets, traders said.

A slightly stronger screen during the morning provided modestsupport for cash, sources said, but they expect futures to havemore influence on today’s activity after the April contract shot upinto the $2.90s Monday afternoon.

The gas buyer for a Midwestern power generator reported sharplyhigher volumes than usual. With the Braidwood nuclear plant down inIllinois and a major coal plant down behind the Tennessee ValleyAuthority, electricity prices were rising “up to where it madesense to crank up some more of our plants,” she said.

Despite the West Coast’s cooling off, a marketer said hisCalifornia border load essentially was flat to last week’s. Hethought Monday’s price hikes likely were due more to end-of-monthbalancing concerns on the SoCal Gas and PG&E system than toweather.

A buyer was glad he made his Sumas purchases early in themorning in the high $2.50s because he saw a short squeeze developtoward the end of trading that pushed Sumas numbers 2-3 centshigher.

The April market is looking very strong, especially after theafternoon run-up in futures, one source said. Michigan citygatebasis was fairly static at plus 12.25 for MichCon and plus 12 forConsumers, he said, but Chicago basis strengthened to plus 9.5, upfrom plus 6-7 quotes last week. As usual, bidweek was getting offto a quiet start, he and others said.

Contrary to the report of stronger Chicago basis, a trader saidHouston Ship Channel basis had softened from plus 1.5 last week toplus 0.75 Monday.

A marketer trading April gas for $2.93 at the SouthernCalifornia border and $2.66 in El Paso’s San Juan-Blanco pool saidthat equated to basis of plus 6.5 and minus 19 respectively.

Other quotes of April basis included: Texas Eastern M-3 at plus25-26, Algonquin citygates at plus 27-28, CNG at plus 19.5, TCO atplus 15.5 and Sumas at minus 21.

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