Increased prices persisted as a fixture for international natural gas sales through the first half of this year, according to the latest trade scorecard by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

U.S. exports to Mexico led the gains with a 230% jump in prices to average $6.11/MMBtu for the first half of 2021 (1H2021), up from $1.85 for the same period of 2020. The DOE’s Gas Regulation division scorecard data is compiled from detailed industry disclosures.

Canadian exports to the United States scored the second biggest price improvement, ncreasing 78% to an average $3.14. This compares with an average price of $1.77 for the first six months of 2020.

The average price fetched by U.S. exports to Canada during 1H2021 increased by 59% to $3.01 from $1.89 in the year-ago...