• Natural gas futures seesawed in and out of the green on Friday as traders weighed soaring global prices and the specter of light supplies for the coming winter against relatively benign near-term weather patterns. The September Nymex gas futures contract ultimately settled at $9.296/MMBtu, down 7.9 cents day/day. October shed 7.5 cents and closed at $9.269.

NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. slid 4.0 cents lower to $8.815.

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Despite the late-week finish in the red, prices remain lofty by historical standards and analysts say much remains on bulls’ side.

European and Asian natural gas prices spiked over the past week amid intensifying global competition for fuel as countries across the northern hemisphere try to prepare for the coming winter. U.S. LNG exports have played a key...