UPDATE 1-US natgas prices ease 1% as mild weather forecasts keep heating demand low

Adds latest prices

By Scott DiSavino

Oct 30 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures eased about 1% on Wednesday on forecasts for mild weather to continue through mid-November, keeping heating demand low and allowing utilities to inject more gas into storage than normal for at least a few more weeks.

But with the start of the higher-priced December contract as the front-month and the expiry of the lower-priced November futures on Tuesday, the front-month was still up about 21% to a three-week high. That puts the front-month on track for its biggest daily percentage gain since it soared about 26% on April 29 when the higher-priced June contract replaced the lower-priced May futures as the front-month.

On its first day as the front-month, gas futures NGc1 for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 1.4 cents, or 0.5%, to settle at $2.845 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their highest close since Oct. 4.

With mild weather squeezing demand, analysts projected utilities last week injected more gas into storage than normal for a second week in a row for the first time since October 2023. There was about 5% more gas in storage than normal for this time of year. EIA/GAS NGAS/POLL

Prior to last week, storage injections had been smaller than usual for 14 weeks in a row because many producers have reduced drilling activities so far this year after average spot monthly prices at the U.S. Henry Hub NG-W-HH-SNL benchmark in Louisiana fell to a 32-year low in March. Prices have remained relatively low since then.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Financial group LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states has slipped to 101.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in October, down from 101.8 bcfd in September. That compares with a record 105.5 bcfd in December 2023.

With so many firms curtailing drilling activities, analysts projected average output in calendar 2024 will decline for the first time since 2020 when the COVID pandemic cut demand for the fuel.

Looking ahead, however, analysts projected producers would boost output later this year and in 2025 to meet rising liquefied natural gas $(LNG)$ export demand with two new export plants - Venture Global LNG's Plaquemines in Louisiana and Cheniere Energy's LNG.N Corpus Christi stage 3 expansion in Texas - expected to start producing LNG later this year.

At Plaquemines, two tankers owned by Venture Global - Venture Bayou and Venture Gator - were still anchored near the mouth of the Mississippi River. Analysts said they expect Venture Global to use the tankers to test equipment that loads fuel onto vessels as part of Plaquemines' commissioning process.

Meteorologists projected the weather in the Lower 48 states would remain warmer than normal through at least Nov. 14. But even warmer-than-normal weather in early November is cooler than warmer-than-normal weather in late October.

So with seasonally cooler weather coming, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would rise from 99.4 bcfd this week to 102.6 bcfd next week. The forecast for next week was lower than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday.

The amount of gas flowing to the seven big U.S. LNG export plants has risen to an average of 13.1 bcfd so far in October, up from 12.7 bcfd in September. That compares with a monthly record high of 14.7 bcfd in December 2023.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Paul Simao and Cynthia Osterman)

((scott.disavino@thomsonreuters.com; +1 332 219 1922; Reuters Messaging: scott.disavino.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net/))

For gas data on the LSEG terminal type ENERGY in the search bar and then go to the GAS drop down and the NORTH AMERICA drop down.

For Interactive Map, type 'Interactive Map' in the box at upper left of the LSEG terminal

For graphics on Baker Hughes rig counts, see: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/rigcount/index.html

For next-day SNL U.S. gas prices, see: 0#SNL-NG

For next-day SNL U.S. power prices, see: 0#SNL-PWR

For U.S. natgas price and storage polls, see: NGAS/POLL

For U.S. nuclear power outages, see: NUKE/

For U.S. Northwest hydro power report, see: NWRFC

For U.S./Canada natural gas rig count vs Henry Hub futures price, see: http://tmsnrt.rs/2eT9k44

For the U.S. natural gas speed guide, see: USGAS

For the U.S. power speed guide, see: USPOWER

To determine CFTC managed money net position add (NYMEX Henry Hub options and futures combined 3023651MNET) plus (ICE Henry Hub options and futures combined 3023391MNET divided by four) plus (NYMEX Henry Hub swaps options and futures combined 303565BMNET divided by four) plus (NYMEX Henry Hub penultimate gas swaps 303565CMNET divided by four)

NYMEX Henry Hub options and futures combined 0#3CFTC023651

NYMEX Henry Hub futures only 0#1CFTC023651

ICE Henry Hub options and futures combined 0#3CFTC023391

NYMEX Henry Hub swaps options and futures combined 0#3CFTC03565B

NYMEX Henry Hub Penultimate gas swaps 0#3CFTC03565C