Unchanged

Losses constituted a moderate majority in a mixed market Thursday as most points were less than a nickel up or down from unchanged. Several of the Northeast citygates that had spiked so hugely Tuesday continued multi-dollar slides that brought them back to the general vicinity of their pre-holiday price levels.

While not much was decided on Friday as the August natural gas futures contract trolled lower before closing the regular session nearly unchanged, the damage was done earlier in the week when the prompt-month contract failed to break above $4.900 and instead broke support at $4.500. After reaching a low of $4.339 on Friday, the August contract closed the day at $4.402, up three-tenths of a penny from Thursday’s close but 28.5 cents south of the previous week’s finish.

Wholesale natural gas prices in the Pacific Northwest will remain unchanged or slightly lower this winter, a panel of industry representatives told the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) last Tuesday during the PUC’s annual Gas Price Outlook meeting in the state capital at Salem, OR.

Numbers stronger than weekend declines but still mostly softer.

Numbers stronger than weekend declines but still mostly softer.

Price movement was minuscule either up or down from unchanged Wednesday, but the market continued to show a tendency for modest softness as moderating weather signaled the approaching end of an especially severe winter.

Price movement was minuscule either up or down from unchanged Wednesday, but the market continued to show a tendency for modest softness as moderating weather signaled the approaching end of an especially severe winter.

October natural gas futures exploded higher once again on Wednesday, and with the bearish fundamental picture remaining unchanged, market participants were attempting to identify a catalyst. While some were convinced that the recent activities of the United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) played a role, others saw the extended rally as nothing more than a wave of fund short-covering.

PG&E Corp. shuffled a couple of senior executives effective Aug. 1, but its CEO reiterated that the company’s focus will remain unchanged, emphasizing renewables and infrastructure development. Along with this operating strategy, the utility holding company intends to remain an active participant in molding a new national energy policy, CEO Peter Darbee told a second quarter earnings conference call last Wednesday, announcing quarter-over-quarter increased profits.