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Not even a larger-than-expected withdrawal from storage was enough to soften the blow of a more than 20-cent drop in March natural gas forwards prices as the main focus remains on weather, or the lack thereof.

March natural gas is expected to open 9 cents lower Tuesday morning at $2.74 as both near- and medium-term temperature forecasts call for less heating load. Overnight oil markets were unchanged to higher.

North American super independent Encana Corp. sharply lowered costs, delivered better wells and strengthened its balance sheet last year, as it prepared for rising growth from 2017 and beyond, CEO Doug Suttles said Thursday.

March natural gas is set to open 3 cents higher Thursday morning at $3.16 as traders see short-term bullish conditions in the form of near-term weather coupled with an expected government report showing usage above historical norms. Overnight oil markets rose.

While the 2016-2017 winter to date has been largely the winter that wasn’t for much of the country, cold weather is expected to grab hold of the northern tier of the United States well into spring, according to AccuWeather forecasters.

Eagle Ford pure-play operator Swift Energy Co. said it plans to spend between $85 million and $95 million on capital expenditures (capex) in 2017. It plans to run one rig in the Eagle Ford and complete a dozen wells there.

February natural gas is set to open a penny lower Thursday morning at $3.29 as traders grapple with a wide range of estimates for a key government inventory report and weather forecasts turn slightly cooler. Overnight oil markets gained.

Natural gas may see its best year since 2014, as exports boost fundamentals and recovering industrial demand tightens the market, analysts said Tuesday.

Researchers with the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) report finding the economic benefits to local communities for allowing hydraulic fracturing (fracking), on average, outweigh any negative health and social impacts from the practice.