Natural gas futures seesawed in and out of the green on Friday as traders weighed soaring global prices and the specter of light supplies for the coming winter against relatively benign near-term weather patterns. The September Nymex gas futures contract ultimately settled at $9.296/MMBtu, down 7.9 cents day/day. October shed 7.5 cents and closed at $9.269.

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At A Glance:

  • Global natural gas needs in focus
  • Domestic weather demand to ease
  • Hurricane activity could accelerate

NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. slid 4.0 cents lower to $8.815.

Despite the late-week finish in the red, prices remain lofty by historical standards and analysts say much remains on bulls’ side.

European and Asian natural gas prices spiked over the past week amid intensifying global competition for fuel...