Rarely

Skepticism of conventional wisdom is rarely out of place, particularly in the energy patch. But when the oil and gas industry is dealing with consumers, citizens and landowners, sincerity is the order of the day.

Forecasts for cooler — although only rarely very cold — weather in several areas caused cash prices to rise by double-digit amounts across the board Wednesday. The spot market also found support from Tuesday’s 24.9-cent advance by April futures. End-of-month balancing efforts also likely played a role in market firmness.