Price

Encana Corp. will hold off on drilling new natural gas wells until market conditions improve, CEO Doug Suttles said Thursday.

August natural gas is expected to open 8 cents lower Monday morning at $3.87 as traders factor in forecasts of still more cooling with risks to the forecast cooler still. Overnight petroleum markets rose.

August natural gas is expected to open a penny higher Friday morning at $4.13 as traders balance possible fuel switching by power generators and near-term warmth in the West and Southwest with expected large-scale cooling later next week. Overnight oil markets eased.

July natural gas is set to open 4 cents higher Wednesday morning at $4.75 even though observers are looking for an uneventful session as traders adjust accounts ahead of Thursday’s gas storage report. Overnight oil markets rose.

July natural gas is expected to open 3 cents lower Tuesday morning at $4.62 as longer-dated weather outlooks call for a cool midsection of the country. Overnight oil markets rose.

The PJM Interconnection, trending toward more natural gas-fired generation, secured 167,004 MW, about 20% more than anticipated, for the 2017-2018 delivery year at a base price that was almost double the year-ago auction.

June natural gas is set to open 2 cents higher Friday morning at $4.38 as traders see bears unwilling to add additional short positions before the extended holiday weekend. Overnight oil markets rose.

May natural gas is set to open 3 cents higher Tuesday morning at $4.73 as analysts raise their longer-term price forecasts amid historically low inventories and hefty demand. Overnight oil markets eased.

February natural gas is expected to open 6 cents higher Tuesday morning at $4.33 as weather forecasts notched a little colder by the end of the month. Overnight oil markets were mixed.