Remained

Following the previous Friday’s sizeable drops, the market was definitely stronger Monday but remained a bit soft for the most part. Although warmer temperatures are forecast for Tuesday in some sections of the Midwest, stormy weather is expected to cool most of the region by midweek, and although it will remain generally hot, some parts of the South can also expect a slight dip in mercury levels.

As of Monday 10-20 MMcf/d of EXCO Resources Inc. net production remained shut in pending space availability on alternate pipeline routes or resumption of treating operations at TGGT Holdings LLC plants following a May 28 incident that prompted the shutdown of the two plants, the company said.

Price drops got larger and occurred across the board Thursday after several instances of firmness had remained a day earlier. An ongoing moderation of temperatures in northern market areas combined with a prior-day dip of 9.3 cents by prompt-month futures to further the cash market weakness.

Although there are quite a few parts of North America as cold as or colder than the Northeast, that region remained the only one where major heating load was having a substantive impact on prices. At nearly all other locations moderate softness was returning Tuesday.

A week after the natural gas transmission pipeline tragedy in the San Francisco Bay Area, gas remained a headline-maker whether it involved speculation on city sewer work somehow contributing to the explosion and fire, or lawmakers proposing safeguards. Routine gas utility distribution pipeline breaks and reports of gas odors were being tracked as potential major events.

More than a week after an exploding natural gas pipeline ripped through a residential neighborhood in the San Francisco Bay Area, natural gas remained a headline-grabber, involving speculation about city sewer work and oil liquids in the pipeline somehow contributing to the explosion and fire, not to mention various politicians proposing new safety measures. With the heightened attention, routine gas utility distribution pipeline breaks and reports of gas odors were being elevated to the status of potential major news events.

Moderately cool remained the weather watchwords for most of the U.S. and Canada, yet even with a second preceding day of futures weakness cash prices continued to stave off any substantive declines Thursday.

Cash numbers continued to defy seasonable to cool weather in many regions for the most part as flat to slightly higher prices remained the norm for a second day Wednesday. The previous day’s loss of 8.7 cents by October futures also had limited impact in dampening the market.

Price changes continued to be mixed for a second straight day Tuesday, but slight downturns remained slightly dominant. A small retreat of high temperatures coming Wednesday in parts of the South, along with mild forecasts for the Northeast, Midwest/Midcontinent and Rockies, were abetted by the previous day’s decline of about a nickel by September futures in sending a small majority of cash points lower.