Declines

While not plunging quite as steeply as the day before, pricesfor the weekend continued to record double-digit declines Friday.There was considerably more consistency across all markets than onThursday as virtually all points fell between 15 cents and about aquarter.

The cash market fell across the board Friday but was hardly amodel of consistency. Declines ranged from barely 2-3 cents atscattered points to more than 20 cents at a few western points;most were between a nickel and about a dime. Activity was describedas quiet.

Most points experienced double-digit price declines Monday,depressed by lower energy futures and continuing mild weather inthe key Midwest and Northeast market areas.

Cash prices took a dive again Thursday as expected. Declineswere around 20 cents or greater at nearly all eastern points and inthe Southwest basins but ranged from about a dime to 18 cents inCalifornia and the Rockies.

A failed technical move higher, followed by a brisk liquidationof fresh longs left even veteran traders shaking their heads in thenatural gas pit Friday, as prices plummeted lower amid heavytrading. The January contract was dealt the largest blow, tumbling13 cents lower to close at $2.331. February also experienced doubledigit losses, slipping 10.3 cents to $2.335.

While yesterday’s price weakness did not surprise many traders,the size of some of the declines exceeded expectations. Near recordhigh temperatures caused major drops in the Midcontinent, andforecasts of hot weather combined with a dropping futures screen toweaken the Northeast, Gulf Coast and western markets.

Despite a sharp increase in drilling activity recently,financial reports from 21 large producers, representing about 32%of total U.S. gas production, show a gas production decline of 4%from last year’s third quarter levels and 3% from the first ninemonths of 1998.

Despite a sharp increase in drilling activity recently,financial reports from 21 large producers, representing about 35%of total U.S. gas production, show a decline of 4% from last year’sthird quarter gas production and 3% from the first nine months of1998.

Prices usually spend Mondays recovering at least partially fromthe declines of the previous Friday. Yesterday was a reversal formost eastern points-they were giving back some of the gains thathad been realized Friday. The East tended to range from flat todown as much as a dime or more on a few Gulf Coast pipes.Trunkline’s two Louisiana pools were especially weak.