Natural gas futures ended the week on a high note, boosted by a brief blast of cold air sweeping across the central and eastern United States. The March Nymex contract settled Friday at $2.514/MMBtu, up 8.4 cents from Thursday’s close. April futures climbed 11.5 cents to $2.607.

At A Glance:

  • Production back near record highs
  • Storage surpluses set to expand
  • Cold blasts lift some cash markets

Spot gas prices were mixed, with the only meaningful changes taking place on the East Coast, in the Rockies and on the West Coast. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. ultimately finished 5.0 cents lower at $2.720.

Despite the temporary bump in demand stemming from the wintry weather systems over parts of the country the next few days, a warmer turn in the pattern ahead may quickly knock...