Choppy trading continued along the Nymex natural gas futures curve on Thursday, with steep losses accrued early in the session amid a broader decline in equities and commodity markets. The September contract managed to bounce later in the day, though, as traders mostly turned a blind eye to hugely bearish storage data. The prompt month settled at $3.830, off 2.2 cents day/day. October fell 2.2 cents to $3.844.

EIA storage Aug 13

At A Glance:

  • EIA stuns with large 42 Bcf build
  • Grace hammering Mexico coast
  • California power being restored

Spot gas prices fell further, though losses were small outside of California. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. dropped 5.5 cents to $3.725.

Thursday’s trading action appeared all but certain early in the session. The September contract plunged as much as 11.8...