NGI Data

Uncertainty over the coronavirus outbreak continued to weigh on the outlook for the nascently global natural gas futures market Tuesday, but prices extended recent gains after last week’s test of a key long-term support level. Following through on the previous session’s rally, the April Nymex contract climbed 4.4 cents to settle at $1.800/MMBtu. May settled at $1.838, up 4.1 cents.

After being driven sharply lower by an increasingly mild weather forecast, natural gas futures sustained even more damage on Friday as global fears of the coronavirus continued to hammer stocks and energy commodities. The April Nymex gas futures contract plunged to an intraday low of $1.642/MMBtu before going on to settle at $1.684, down 6.8 cents from Thursday’s close. May also fell 6.8 cents to land at $1.732.

Despite another glancing blow of crisp air across the Lower 48 this week, natural gas prices failed to maintain momentum and ended the Feb. 24-27 period sharply lower week/week. NGI’s Weekly Spot Gas National Avg. for the four days through Thursday tumbled 13.5 cents to $1.685. Friday trading was not included as it was for March gas delivery.

Natural gas futures continued to slide Friday on further warmer trends in the latest weather models, crushing any hopes that bulls had for a return to $2 gas. The March Nymex gas futures contract settled at $1.905/MMBtu, down 1.5 cents from Thursday’s close. April slipped 1.4 cents to $1.917.

Weekend weather models achieved a feat that has remained elusive over the winter so far, turning massively colder over the extended holiday weekend and sending the natural gas futures surging to start the work week. The March Nymex gas futures contract jumped 14.4 cents to settle Tuesday at $1.981/MMBtu. April shot up 11.5 cents to $1.971.

Natural gas futures capped the week with a modest gain as the latest weather data gave bulls enough momentum to prevent another leg lower ahead of the long holiday weekend. The March Nymex gas futures contract climbed 1.1 cents to settle Friday at $1.837. April was unchanged at $1.856.

Despite some intraweek volatility driven in large part to a double-shot of winter storms hitting the United States, weekly spot gas prices ultimately shifted very little week/week. TheNGIWeekly Spot GasNational Avg.slipped just 2.0 cents to $1.750.

After sinking to a four-year low to start the week, natural gas futures bounced a bit Tuesday as a late-week cold blast was seen boosting demand possibly to the highest level of the winter so far. The March Nymex gas futures contract climbed 2.2 cents to settle at $1.788/MMBtu. April rose 1.9 cents to close at $1.823.

A return of frigid air failed to materialize in the latest weather models, crushing any chance that Friday’s early gains could hold through the weekend. The March Nymex gas futures contract settled at $1.858/MMBtu, down four-tenths of a cent from Thursday’s close. April climbed a half-cent to $1.892.