The uphill run of the overall market was still going for themost part Wednesday, but at a considerably slower pace than the daybefore as several areas anticipated at least a brief reprieve fromsevere winter weather.

While Transco Zone 6 remained a super-pricey citygate with boththe New York City and non-NYC pools averaging increases to eitherside of $2, other new upticks in the Northeast were considerablymore modest, and Tennessee Zone 6 deliveries even fell back. Onesource suggested the resumption of Maritimes & Northeast flowsearlier this week was relieving some of the supply tightness in NewEngland, causing Tennessee’s Zone 6 drop and keeping the price riseof Algonquin citygates relatively small. A marketer looks forprices in the entire region to retreat today before beginning a newupward spiral as cold weather is expected to return.

A small rise at the Southern California border put it at virtualparity with the flat PG&E citygate. There’s not all that muchdemand in California, one trader said, and PG&E was projectingabove-target linepack starting Friday. But gas in the Southwestbasins continued to be lured east and north to the Gulf Coast andMidcontinent/Midwest, and the border has to compete with thoseregions for supplies, he said.

February basis was starting to weaken a bit Wednesday, twosources said. But one, who trades the Northeast, pegged TranscoZone 6-NYC at a colossal plus 280-300. He hadn’t done anyfixed-price deals yet but said the basis indicates pricing of $5-6or so for the point.

Two events put a crimp in planning February trading strategy,sources said. First, there was AGA’s postponement in issuing theweekly storage report until today, reportedly due to the East Coastsnowstorm. “A lot of people were looking for some guidance fromthat report [Wednesday] afternoon,” a marketer said. Second, thescreen’s trying to move higher but then taking a beating left somepeople wondering if they were making the right moves, a Texastrader said.

One source reported a Kingsgate deal for February at $2.37,which represents a gain of a little less than 15 cents from theJanuary index.

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