Markets

A potential El Nino event — warmer-than-normal water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator — is likely to limit the production of tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean this year, resulting in below-average hurricane activity, according to a pair of prominent weather forecasters.

Most natural gas traders laid low Thursday and got their deals done ahead of the release of often volatility-inducing inventory figures from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). It was a mixed market with gains in the Northeast and Appalachia unable to offset broader losses in the Midwest, Midcontinent, Rockies, and California.

May natural gas is expected to open 2 cents lower Thursday morning at $3.25 as the market looks ahead to the first storage build of the season and traders are split on near-term market direction. Overnight oil markets were mixed.

Natural gas futures jumped Thursday morning after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a storage injection that was less than what traders were expecting.

Tellurian Inc. Chairman and liquefied natural gas (LNG) pioneer Charif Souki told a Japanese audience Tuesday that he would sell them LNG at a fixed $8/MMBtu beginning in 2023, according to press reports.

May natural gas is set to open 2 cents lower Wednesday morning at $3.27 as traders see little in the way of supportive weather developments and digest the market’s current overbought condition. Overnight oil markets gained.

Global trade in liquefied natural gas (LNG) last year reached a record 258 million tonnes — up 5% from 2015, according to the International Gas Union (IGU). However, the LNG industry is in need of contract standardization, according to one trading house, which has introduced a proposal for a standard contract.

Physical natural gas for Thursday delivery advanced in Wednesday trading, as forecasts of higher energy demand and supportive power pricing permeated the market. Most points were higher by double-digits, but a few eastern points slumped after an operational flow order (OFO) was lifted in the Northeast.

Lower 48 natural gas storage capacity has barely increased over the last three years due to a variety of factors, reflecting market trends that could eventually lead to a reduced reliance on storage supply during times of elevated demand, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a Today in Energy note on Tuesday.