Investing.com - Natural gas futures traded higher Tuesday, moving further away from a ten-year low hit earlier in the week as short covering and bottom fishing speculation pushed the price higher.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, natural gas futures for delivery in May traded at USD2.180 per million British thermal units during U.S. afternoon trade, jumping 1.3%.
It earlier rose by as much as 1.75% to trade at USD2.187 per million British thermal units, the highest since March 29.
Prices fell for five consecutive days leading up to Monday’s session, dropping to as low as USD2.067 per million British thermal units, the lowest since February 2002.
However, prices reversed losses mid-way through Monday’s session as traders closed out bets on lower prices after futures moved into oversold territory, a move known as covering a short position.
Market participants also noted a bout of technical buying after prices failed to break below the key psychological level of USD2.00.
The short covering spree continued in to Tuesday’s session, as technical traders said the market was oversold and due for a technical bounce.
Forecasts of slightly cooler weather may have further triggered some of the buying, but traders said slightly below-normal readings in mid-April would not be enough to generate significant demand.
Despite the two-day gain, market analysts expect prices to continue their downtrend amid ongoing concerns over elevated U.S. storage levels and indications demand for the heating fuel will remain weak in the near-term.
The U.S. gas market is entering the so-called shoulder season. Gas use typically hits a seasonal low with spring's mild temperatures, before warmer weather increases demand for gas-fired electricity generation to power air conditioning.
Gas stockpiles are expected to continue rising through the next few months as demand weakens.
Weekly storage data from the U.S. released last week showed that natural gas storage in the U.S. rose by 57 billion cubic feet last week, the largest supply gain ever recorded in March.
Total U.S. natural gas storage stood at 2.437 trillion cubic feet as of last week, 50% above year-ago levels and 59% higher than the five-year average for this time of year.
Early injection estimates for this week’s storage data range from 8 billion cubic feet to 49 billion cubic feet, compared to last year's drawdown of 29 billion cubic feet. The five-year average change for the week is a build of 8 billion cubic feet.
Some market players expect U.S. gas inventories to end the winter at a record high 2.5 trillion cubic feet, about 60% above normal and well above the previous high of 2.148 trillion set in 1983.
Natural gas was the worst performing commodity of the first three months of 2012, plummeting 29% during the period, its worst quarterly loss in two years.
Futures plunged 19% in March, the biggest monthly drop since August 2010, as the natural gas market has been dominated for months by concerns over elevated U.S. storage levels and mild weather that has limited demand for the fuel.
Elsewhere on the NYMEX, light sweet crude oil futures for delivery in May slumped 0.99% to trade at USD104.19 a barrel.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, natural gas futures for delivery in May traded at USD2.180 per million British thermal units during U.S. afternoon trade, jumping 1.3%.
It earlier rose by as much as 1.75% to trade at USD2.187 per million British thermal units, the highest since March 29.
Prices fell for five consecutive days leading up to Monday’s session, dropping to as low as USD2.067 per million British thermal units, the lowest since February 2002.
However, prices reversed losses mid-way through Monday’s session as traders closed out bets on lower prices after futures moved into oversold territory, a move known as covering a short position.
Market participants also noted a bout of technical buying after prices failed to break below the key psychological level of USD2.00.
The short covering spree continued in to Tuesday’s session, as technical traders said the market was oversold and due for a technical bounce.
Forecasts of slightly cooler weather may have further triggered some of the buying, but traders said slightly below-normal readings in mid-April would not be enough to generate significant demand.
Despite the two-day gain, market analysts expect prices to continue their downtrend amid ongoing concerns over elevated U.S. storage levels and indications demand for the heating fuel will remain weak in the near-term.
The U.S. gas market is entering the so-called shoulder season. Gas use typically hits a seasonal low with spring's mild temperatures, before warmer weather increases demand for gas-fired electricity generation to power air conditioning.
Gas stockpiles are expected to continue rising through the next few months as demand weakens.
Weekly storage data from the U.S. released last week showed that natural gas storage in the U.S. rose by 57 billion cubic feet last week, the largest supply gain ever recorded in March.
Total U.S. natural gas storage stood at 2.437 trillion cubic feet as of last week, 50% above year-ago levels and 59% higher than the five-year average for this time of year.
Early injection estimates for this week’s storage data range from 8 billion cubic feet to 49 billion cubic feet, compared to last year's drawdown of 29 billion cubic feet. The five-year average change for the week is a build of 8 billion cubic feet.
Some market players expect U.S. gas inventories to end the winter at a record high 2.5 trillion cubic feet, about 60% above normal and well above the previous high of 2.148 trillion set in 1983.
Natural gas was the worst performing commodity of the first three months of 2012, plummeting 29% during the period, its worst quarterly loss in two years.
Futures plunged 19% in March, the biggest monthly drop since August 2010, as the natural gas market has been dominated for months by concerns over elevated U.S. storage levels and mild weather that has limited demand for the fuel.
Elsewhere on the NYMEX, light sweet crude oil futures for delivery in May slumped 0.99% to trade at USD104.19 a barrel.