Softening

What several sources believe may be an extended period of slow, often featureless and softer cash trading was launched Tuesday with all points on the same falling price page. Trends were more consistent across the entire market, with a large majority of points registering declines from a little less than a dime to about 15 cents. More modest drops tended to occur in non-Permian Basin western markets, while larger losses were recorded in the Northeast.

The moderately softening status quo remained in effect for the cash market Thursday. Declines of about a dime or less prevailed at most points, although double-digit moves were reported for the Rockies/Pacific Northwest region. The smallest drops of less than a nickel were concentrated at cool Northeast citygates.

Softening continued in the cash market Tuesday, but the rate of decline slowed down considerably. Only a couple of points fell by more than a dime, while most of the others dropped a little more than a nickel or less. Scattered points, mostly in the Rockies, were flat to marginally higher.

The cash market remained in a softening mode for the most part Wednesday, but only a couple of declines exceeded a dime and some points, particularly in the Rockies and at the Southern California border, registered moderate gains.

Except for California softness, prices managed to edgemoderately higher Monday in the face of light weather-relateddemand and only a modicum of screen support. Unless they werelooking ahead to below normal temperatures forecast next week forthe eastern half of the U.S. by the National Weather Service,sources essentially had nothing concrete to which they could pointin explaining the upticks that continued Friday’s mini-rally.

Prices continued to fall Thursday but generally by smalleramounts than earlier this week. Price movement mostly ranged fromflat to down about a dime. California continued to be the oddmarket out with substantial upticks in Northern California and aSouthern California border decline of about a quarter, exceedingall other softness.

Once again softening cash prices followed the lead of theprevious afternoon’s screen movement, and if that tendencycontinues to hold true, expect another falling cash market today.Wednesday’s declines ranged from about a nickel to 20 cents, andCalifornia stood out again with losses greater than those in thegeneral market.

While the rest of the country resumed the softening trendyesterday with price drops of 40-50 cents, California returned tothe stratosphere with increases from weekend levels approaching $5and averages hovering around $19-$20/MMBtu.

For nearly all points, the late-November swing price softeningthat had begun Monday upon emergence from the holiday weekendcontinued at a much accelerated pace Tuesday. The conspicuousexceptions? The same ones that have dazzled the rest of the marketsince Thanksgiving week began with numbers well over $10:California and the Pacific Northwest points where Canadian gas istraded (Sumas, Stanfield and Kingsgate).