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Following a small rebound in values on Friday, April natural gas futures on Monday resumed the recent downtrend, notching a low of $4.036 before closing out the regular session at $4.079, down 9 cents from Friday’s finish.

Following a small rebound in values on Friday, April natural gas futures on Monday resumed the recent downtrend, notching a low of $4.036 before closing out the regular session at $4.079, down 9 cents from Friday’s finish.

Prices were up by generally small amounts at most points Monday as seasonal winter weather was returning to most of the East. The previous Friday’s surge of 20.4 cents by futures and the return of industrial load from its usual weekend hiatus also helped to boost the cash market.

Prices were up by generally small amounts at most points Monday as seasonal winter weather was returning to most of the East. The previous Friday’s surge of 20.4 cents by futures and the return of industrial load from its usual weekend hiatus also helped to boost the cash market.

After generally leveling off Wednesday, the market recorded small gains at a large majority of points Thursday. Forecasts indicated that chillier conditions would be returning in some areas by the end of the weekend, although nothing like a revisitation of the frigid cold snap that dominated late December and the first half of January was expected.

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) on Friday approved a small credit for Las Vegas, NV-based Southwest Gas Corp.’s Arizona natural gas utility customers that will stay on retail customers’ bills though the first part of 2011, the regulatory commission said. The “surcredit,” as the ACC designated it, will be effective Dec. 1.

December natural gas futures values received a small boost Thursday morning after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that 29 Bcf was injected into underground storage caverns for the week ending Oct. 30. Traders were watching the injection report, which was neutral to somewhat smaller than most industry expectations, along with the surprise development of Hurricane Ida in the western Caribbean.

The Oregon Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Monday approved a small general rate increase for Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities’ natural gas operations, but substantial decreases in wholesale gas costs will mean the net effect for residential customers is an average decrease in monthly bills of 13%, or about $10. All the rate changes resulting in the net decrease were effective last Sunday.

Prices rebounded by generally small amounts at most points Tuesday following across-the-board declines a day earlier. Considering Monday’s futures plunge of 27.4 cents, the rally was rather surprising in light of a warm-up into the 70s forecast for the South along with relatively light cooling trends in parts of the Northeast and mixed temperature movement due in the Midwest.