Deteriorate

The U.S. natural gas rig count, steady for about two years, is down 100 rigs in the past six months and should continue to deteriorate over the next few years, Raymond James & Associates Inc. said last week.

The U.S. natural gas rig count, steady for about two years, is down 100 rigs in the past six months and should continue to deteriorate over the next few years, Raymond James & Associates Inc. said Monday.

Prices continued to deteriorate Tuesday for much the same reasonas in the previous couple of trading days: weather that’s cool butnot sufficiently cold to generate significant heating demand. Therewasn’t even much cooling load left in Texas after astorm-generating cold front that had knocked out phone service indowntown Tulsa for several hours Monday got as far south asHouston.