Injections

Southern California Gas declared an OFO for the Evening Cycle of Wednesday.

After averaging a hefty 91 Bcf a week in storage injections since April, the natural gas market fell sharply off that pace last week with a 53 Bcf refill, prompting some market observers to rethink how much the blackouts affected gas demand. Using that bullish news as an updraft, the October futures contract soared immediately to $5.08 following the 10:30 a.m. EDT report.

From the triple-digit weekly gas storage injections in the last three EIA storage reports, analysts at Raymond James & Associates calculate that there has been a 3-4 Bcf/d decrease in gas demand from fuel switching and a 0.75 Bcf/d increase in gas supply because of gas liquids being left in the gas stream due to low liquids margins.

After experiencing muted price moves for more than a week, the natural gas futures market tumbled to new three-month lows Thursday as traders digested the latest in a recent string of bearish storage reports. The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly storage report featured a larger-than-expected 37 Bcf storage injection.

Bay Gas Storage Co. has begun initial injections of natural gas into its second salt dome gas storage cavern located at its facility near Mobile, AL. The company recently completed the first phase of cavern two.

Natural gas storage facilities are busting at the seams right now, causing analysts to be increasingly bearish about December prices. The American Gas Association (AGA) reported last Wednesday the industry was still putting in more inventories during the third full week of November in reaction to mild weather, low prices and lack of demand. With the 12 Bcf injection AGA reported last Wednesday, storage is at a new record high of 3,144 Bcf and the year-on-year storage deficit is at a crushing 642 Bcf, leaving a glut of gas supply on the market that will put severe downward pressure on spot prices for months to come, according to analysts.

Natural gas storage facilities are busting at the seams right now after the American Gas Association (AGA) reported the industry was still putting in more inventories during the third full week of November in reaction to mild weather, low prices and lack of demand. With the 12 Bcf injection AGA reported, storage is at a new record high of 3,144 Bcf and the year-on-year storage deficit is at a crushing 642 Bcf, leaving a glut of gas supply on the market that will put severe downward pressure on spot prices for months to come, according to analysts.

Unable to live up to revised storage expectations, the natural gas futures market plummeted lower Wednesday afternoon as traders continued to liquidate new longs. For the third time in three days the September contract tested, but failed to break through resistance in the $3.35-40 area, paving the way for intra- and inter-day profit-taking. The September contract bore the brunt of the selling pressure, spiraling 21.5 cents lower to close at $3.081.

Surpassing most expectations yet again, the weekly storage injection figure announced yesterday by the American Gas Association sent natural gas futures spiraling lower late in the session yesterday, pressing the expiring contract to fresh 13-month lows. With that selling pressure, July went off the board at $3.182, down 21.5 cents for the session and 62.8 cents below where it was when it began its tenure as prompt month on May 29.