Markets

Just days before Halloween, November natural gas forwards prices in playing the part of Ichabod Crane fell off their high horse — tumbling an average of 18.5 cents between Oct. 21 and 27 — as the humdrum of shoulder season gripped the market and gas storage inventories closed in on last year’s record-breaking levels, according to NGI’s Forward Look.

ExxonMobil Corp. reported sharply lower profits for the third quarter as the prolonged decline in oil and natural gas prices exacted its toll on No. 1 U.S. producer. Chevron Corp., the No. 2 U.S. operator, also was hit by the slump in pricing, but it managed to score its first quarterly profit of the year following massive writedowns.

Natural gas for weekend and Halloween Monday delivery were short on thrills and chills on Friday as near-term temperature outlooks continued at well above seasonal levels, and power market pricing offered little incentive to make incremental purchases for power generation.

The expiring November natural gas futures contract is expected to open a penny higher Thursday morning at $2.74 as traders adjust their estimates of ending inventories to account for continued storage builds. Overnight oil markets rose.

Natural gas futures rose modestly Thursday morning after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a storage injection that was right in line with trader expectations.

Physical natural gas for Friday delivery slumped as modest strength in the East and California was unable to offset losses in Texas, Louisiana, market centers in the Midwest and the Midcontinent.

Next-day natural gas on average was unchanged in Wednesday’s trading, with many locations in the Midwest, Midcontinent and Gulf gaining modest amounts. Hefty setbacks, however, in the Northeast and Appalachia negated those advances, and the NGI National Spot Gas Average was flat at $2.51.

November natural gas is set to open 4 cents lower Wednesday morning at $2.73 as heating and cooling requirements for major energy markets can do no better than muster a seasonal response. Overnight oil markets tumbled.

Canadian oil and natural gas production will keep growing, but soft prices and environmental restrictions will slow the pace and generate setbacks, the National Energy Board (NEB) predicted Wednesday in a revised 25-year forecast.