Sliced

Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday sliced its North American natural gas price assumptions through 2013 and said with “no relief in sight for overproduction and storage,” it now assumes that gas delivered at the Henry Hub this year will sell for an average of $2.75/MMBtu.

Energy analysts last week continued to pile on the bearish forecasts, and two more sliced their forecasts for 2010 natural gas prices on two recurring themes: an acceleration in gas-directed drilling activity year-to-date, and the anticipated revisions expected to be made beginning this month in Energy Information Administration (EIA) production data.

Two energy analyst teams Monday sliced their outlook for 2010 natural gas prices because of an acceleration in gas-directed drilling activity year-to-date and the anticipated revisions expected to be made by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Two energy analyst teams Monday sliced their outlook for 2010 natural gas prices because of an acceleration in gas-directed drilling activity year-to-date and the anticipated revisions expected to be made by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Two days and 40 cents higher appeared to be enough for natural gas futures traders for the short term as futures values returned to earth on Tuesday. The May contract sliced 18.1 cents off of its price to close the regular session at $4.096.

Two days and 40 cents higher appeared to be enough for natural gas futures traders for the short term as futures values returned to earth on Tuesday. The May contract sliced 18.1 cents off of its price to close the regular session at $4.096.

Credit Suisse Friday cut its U.S. natural gas price forecast for 2009 to $3.92/Mcf from $4.00, and sliced the 2010 estimate to $4.642 from $5.140. Weighing on the 2010 prices are expected increases in LNG imports and the start-up of 15 new coal-fired plants.

XTO Energy Inc. has sliced more than $1 billion from its 2009 capital expenditure (capex) plans because of low commodity prices and the oversupplied natural gas markets, the company said Tuesday. However, even with the cuts, 2009 gas-weighted production volumes are predicted to jump 14% over 2008 levels.