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After opening on a strong note, natural gas futures tumbledlower in the first half-hour of trading Monday as traders tookprofits following Friday’s surprising 17.1-cent rally. However,once December had etched a $4.80 low for the day, the market wasleft to chop lazily sideways for the rest of the session. Theprompt month finished at $4.849, down 8.2 cents for the day.

After gapping higher on the open and racing to new highs,natural gas futures were hit with a powerful wave of selling latein the session that trimmed most of yesterday’s gains and lefttraders wondering if more selling is in store for the market on itsexpiration day today.

From coast to coast, utilities and local distribution companies(LDCs) are preparing for the peak natural gas-usage season thiswinter by filing rate hikes with regulators, and bracing theircustomers for inflated gas prices that are still to come.

Natural gas futures sagged at the open and then again at theclose yesterday, but in between the price action was positive astraders continued to grapple with disequilibrium of supply anddemand in the physical market. The September contract finished at$4.685, up 5.7 cents on the day and just to the north of the centerof its wide, 20-cent range. Estimated volume was healthy withoptions-related futures dealings boosting the number of contractsthat changed hands to 73,860.

If the new route variation that Millennium Pipeline Co. L.P. hasproposed for its facilities in Westchester, NY, were a Broadwayshow, it probably would open and close on the same night, criticscontend.

If the new route variation that Millennium Pipeline Co. L.P. hasproposed for its facilities in Westchester, NY, were a Broadwayshow, it probably would open and close on the same night, criticscontend.

Natural gas futures gapped lower on the open for the second dayin a row Tuesday, but unlike Monday’s session that saw pricescontinue lower, prices rebounded throughout the day yesterday tofinish in positive territory. After putting in a $3.92 low justminutes after the opening bell, the August contract was boosted bya round of short-covering which deposited the prompt month 4.2cents higher to close at $4.044.

The one-day “Natural Gas Summit” held yesterday in Coloradoturned out to be quite an eye-open for industrial gas customers andsuppliers alike, according to participants.

Futures succumbed to another major technical correctionyesterday as the July contract gapped 2.5 cents lower at the openand dropped a dime early on before plummeting after the AGA gasstorage report came out at 2 p.m. At the end of the regular tradingsession, July was down 34.9 cents, August had dropped 35.1 centsand September was off 33.1 cents. The July contract had a 39-centrange for the day, trading as high as $4.335 and as low as $3.930.