With a Category 4 hurricane targeting natural gas export facilities and other energy infrastructure on the Gulf Coast, gas traders struggled with where to price September futures Wednesday. 

After some back and forth within a 10-cent range, the September Nymex contract settled 2.8 cents lower at $2.461. October slipped 2.2 cents to $2.574.

Spot gas prices also were mostly lower despite heat across much of the Lower 48. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. dropped 4.5 cents to $2.265.

There have been plenty of moving parts for the natural gas market this week, though Hurricane Laura has taken center stage. Exploration and production companies, midstreamers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals have made preparations ahead of landfall, evacuating personnel and ramping down...