Derived

The physical natural gas cash market fell on average by 2 cents Wednesday as traders noted continuing weather-derived weakness at Northeast points. The Midwest was mixed and Gulf points eased a couple of pennies. The spot July contract was finally able to breach the $4.00 barrier and settled 0.3 cent higher at $4.001. August finished unchanged at $4.015, and July crude oil added 43 cents to $93.74/bbl.

Cash quotes Wednesday latched on to strength derived from exuberant futures bulls and settled a dime higher on average. California points were strong, but the gains were noticed at nearly all trading points. Futures traders see not only covering of existing short positions but also new buying. At the close of futures trading June had added another 7.2 cents to settle at $2.465 after flirting with $2.50. July gained 7.5 cents to $2.550 and June crude oil struggled, settling at $96.81/bbl, down 20 cents.

Excluding the big weather-derived drops at eastern points, physical natural gas fell about 6.5 cents on Monday, a little more than the slip-sliding futures. At the close of futures trading March had fallen 4.6 cents to $2.431 and April had given up 3.6 cents to $2.620. March crude oil jumped $2.24 to $100.91/bbl.

Much like a week earlier, the cash market got off to a strong start with double-digit increases across the board Monday. It derived support from a 13.6-cent rise in prompt-month futures on the previous Friday, Baker Hughes having reported a further decline in gas-directed drilling rig activity over the course of last week (see Daily GPI, May 23), and growing weather-based load — primarily in the form of hotter temperatures having arrived over the weekend in the South.

The oil shale reserves in the Green River Formation are equal to the world’s proven oil reserves, according to the federal government.

A report derived from four years of data in an ongoing five-year study of the effect that natural gas production has on sage grouse in Wyoming’s Pinedale Anticline suggests that liquids gathering systems (LGS) can reduce impacts on the species.

A report derived from four years of data in an ongoing five-year study of the effect that natural gas production has on sage grouse in Wyoming’s Pinedale Anticline suggests that liquids gathering systems (LGS) can reduce impacts on the species.

A report derived from four years of data in an ongoing five-year study of the effect that natural gas production has on sage grouse in Wyoming’s Pinedale Anticline suggests that liquids gathering systems (LGS) can reduce impacts on the species.

September natural gas futures rose as traders cited geopolitically derived strength in crude oil and hints of tropical development by a leading forecaster as giving the market a late-week lift. September natural gas rose 27 cents to $9.389 and the October contract tacked on 27 cents as well to finish at $9.494. September crude oil rose $1.02 to $125.10/bbl after trading as high as $128.50.