• LNG, Mexican exports fuel gains for natural gas futures
  • Weather seen as moderate through mid-May, but heat looming
  • U.S. West, East coasts post higher cash prices on strong demand

Natural gas futures struggled to gain traction early Monday, but continuously strong export demand eventually pushed prices into the green. With options and the May Nymex contract’s expiration looming, the prompt month settled at $2.790, up 6.0 cents from Friday’s close. The June contract picked up 5.6 cents to land at $2.874.

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Spot gas prices were mixed as the East and West coasts put up notable gains, while the rest of the country softened. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. climbed 3.5 cents to $2.605.

After last week’s late-season cold snap provided the futures market with a final blast of...