Markets

Most forecasters are expecting a strong El Nino event to help make the upcoming winter relatively mild, and that, in turn, will help to limit energy shortages and price volatility, according to a Winter Energy Market Assessment issued by FERC’s Office of Enforcement (OE) Thursday.

Next-day physical gas gained ground in Thursday’s trading as most traders elected to get deals done before the often volatility-inducing Energy Information Administration (EIA) storage report.

November natural gas is set to open a penny lower Wednesday morning at $2.49 as traders don’t see any cold temperatures until later in the week but look to enter the market on the long side. Overnight oil markets inched higher.

Physical gas for Thursday delivery inched higher in Wednesday’s trading, and while forecasts are calling for cooler Canadian air by the end of the week, shoulder season patterns on balance are benign and not likely to motivate significant buying or selling.

November natural gas is set to open 2 cents lower Tuesday morning at $2.51 as traders factor in a slight warming trend. Overnight oil markets were narrowly mixed.

The U.S. natural gas market appears to be evolving beyond the regional redefinitions, as summer demand continues to provide more parity to the winter markets.

A band of warm water lurking in the Pacific Ocean off Washington’s coast could emerge to impact winter weather patterns in the United States, but it likely is going to be trampled by a monster El Nino, according to weather forecasters.

Physical natural gas overall for Wednesday delivery moved little as advances in the East and Northeast were able to offset weakness in the Midcontinent, West Texas, San Juan and Rockies.

November natural gas is seen opening 2 cents higher Monday morning at $2.52 as the market makes a somewhat tepid response to weather forecasts calling for much cooler temperatures. Overnight oil markets were mixed.