Drop

Staging a partial rebound from Friday’s 17.8-cent drop, October natural gas futures following the long Labor Day weekend gained back 6.6 cents to close Tuesday’s regular session at $3.938. The November contract enjoyed much the same ride by moving 5.3 cents higher to $4.043 following Friday’s 17.6-cent drubbing.

The drop in share prices, combined with uncertain oil prices, have put a bull’s eye on about two dozen large U.S. producers and close to 100 small exploration and production (E&P) companies, which may be targets for consolidation, according to a new report by IHS Inc.

The recent drop in oil prices hasn’t begun to pressure North American chemical producers to shift their feedstocks from natural gas liquids (NGL) products, the head of Canada’s NOVA Chemicals said Thursday.

Prices continued to drop by generally small amounts at nearly all points Thursday despite cooling load remaining heavy in some areas. A few cooling trends and the previous day’s downturn of 6.5 cents by prompt-month futures were primary components of the cash market softness.

It’s only been two and a half months, but Range Resources Corp. said its decision to leave the Barnett Shale is already paying off.

The tug-of-war being played out for Southern Union Co. continued on Tuesday with Energy Transfer Equity LP (ETE) topping by 25 cents a $44/share offer by Williams. The $9.4 billion bid is the second time ETE has countered Williams’ offers for the Houston-based gas pipeline company.

Finally responding to the 40.2-cent drop in front-month natural gas futures values from last Thursday’s high of $4.983, cash point averages across the board came off significantly on Tuesday for Wednesday delivery.

June natural gas futures continued to drop Friday as traders now see the market at a level more prone to reflect value but still poised to move lower in the near term. At the close June had weakened 2.6 cents to $4.235 and July had dropped 3.4 cents to $4.297. June crude oil continued its descent, losing $2.62 to $97.18/bbl.

Because an “all-time high level” of uncompleted natural wells in the Haynesville Shale await a tie-in to pipelines, don’t expect an immediate drop-off in incremental supply as the rig count drops, analysts with Raymond James & Associates Inc. said in a note Monday.