There were exceptions to the rule in both regions Monday, but for the most part prices increased in the West and softened in the East. The western market was seeing a resurgence of cooling load in the desert Southwest (Phoenix is expected to be just under 100 degrees Tuesday), while its eastern counterpart continued to labor under the same negative influences that had caused major declines in the previous week.

Losses ranged from 2-3 cents to about 40 cents and tended to be largest at Midwest citygates. The Rockies, where quotes had taken the biggest dives on Friday, was the clear leader of a recovery in which gains ran from a little less than a nickel to about 60 cents.

A cold front due to move south from Canada into the northern Plains and Upper Midwest Tuesday failed to avert market-area price weakness, but had a more salutary effect on production-area numbers, with nearly all Midcontinent points posting gains. Elsewhere, other than the rising temperatures in the desert Southwest, the weather outlook remains moderate to cool in most areas.

The weather picture combined with other existing bearish influences — futures weakness, abundant storage and a quiet hurricane season — to put downward pressure on eastern prices. It also had an impact on Pacific Northwest and Western Canada quotes, which were the West’s only softening areas. Whereas cold weather had dominated the region last week, with Calgary seeing overnight lows around freezing at one point, a warm-up was taking highs into the 70s Tuesday.

The PG&E citygate managed to join in the West’s overall firmness by rising nearly 20 cents in spite of its transmission system declaring a rather stringent high-inventory OFO for Tuesday (see Transportation Notes). The OFO appeared to have more impact at Malin, which was up only about 3 cents.

A couple of “disturbed areas” in the eastern Atlantic constituted the only tropical activity Monday, The Weather Channel said, with Hurricane Helene having faded into oblivion over the weekend.

It was a “pretty weak” daily market, said a Midwest marketer. The Chicago fell into the low $4.20s, he said, “and I did not expect that” with a cold front approaching. Anybody in the market area that tried to put away “cheap” gas over the weekend didn’t do so well and should have waited until Monday to make their purchases, he said.

The marketer said it was a busy start for bidweek business at his company, but he was concentrating on winter term business instead of trading October baseload.

A Texas-based marketer said Chicago basis had weakened to minus 12 cents Monday after being quoted at minus 9-7 cents Friday. He reported seeing Tennessee’s 500 Leg bid at minus 12 cents, and said the pipeline’s 800 Leg did trade Monday morning at the same basis. Columbia Gas was offered early at plus 10.5 cents, but in the late afternoon had strengthened to plus 14.5 cents, he said.

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