Widespread gains for the scorching West the notable exception, regional natural gas forwards generally skidded lower during the July 27-Aug. 3 trading period, NGI’s Forward Look data show.

For western U.S. hubs, enduring summer heat and an ongoing regional storage deficit put upward pressure on the late-injection-season contract months week/week. SoCal Citygate fixed prices jumped 78.4 cents week/week for October delivery to end at $6.282/MMBtu.

Elsewhere in the region, Malin October fixed prices added 38.9 cents to reach $3.579, Forward Look data show.

[Want to know how global LNG demand impacts North American fundamentals? To find out, subscribe to NGI’s Daily Gas Price Index]

The back half of the 15-day forecast as of Thursday showed “very warm to hot”...