Natural gas forward prices exploded higher through the trading period ending Sept. 8 as hefty production outages lingered following Hurricane Ida, creating more uncertainty about whether U.S. supplies would be sufficient for the winter. 

October fixed prices rallied by an average of 26.0 cents, while prices for the November and winter (November 2021-March 2022) strips each rose by an average 30.0 cents, according to NGI’s Forward Look.

In a midday update Thursday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said about 77% of the natural gas and 76% of the oil produced in the Gulf of Mexico remained offline after Ida crashed ashore near Port Fourchon, LA, Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm.

Crews were still evacuated from 71 production platforms, or around 13% of the...