Investing.com - Natural gas futures bounced higher during U.S. morning trade Friday as bargain hunters lifted the commodity, after Thursday’s report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicating U.S. gas supplies advanced more-than-expected last week knocked prices lower.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, natural gas futures for delivery in July traded at USD2.777 per million British thermal units during U.S. morning trade, advancing 1.93%.
Bargain hunters took advantage of Thursday’s rout by buying up the commodity at low levels.
In addition, commodity bullish news of the EU summit making progress on the debt crisis further boosted prices.
On Thursday, Profit takers hit the heating fuel after the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report that natural gas storage in the U.S. in the week ended June 22 rose by 57 billion cubic feet, above market expectations for an increase of 52 billion cubic feet.
Inventories rose by 84 billion cubic feet in the same week a year earlier, while the five-year average change for the week is an increase of 85 billion cubic feet, according to U.S. Energy Department data.
Total U.S. natural gas storage stood at 3.063 trillion cubic feet as of last week. Stocks were 653 billion cubic feet higher than last year at this time and 613 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 2.450 trillion cubic feet for this time of year.
The report showed that in the East Region, stocks were 288 billion cubic feet above the five-year average, following a net injection of 34 billion cubic feet.
Stocks in the Producing Region were 240 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 890 billion cubic feet, after a net injection of 14 billion cubic feet.
Forecasts for warmer-than-normal weather across key parts of the U.S. in the coming days limited losses.
The Commodity Weather Group said earlier in the week that temperatures were expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) later this week from the Mississippi River to the mid-Atlantic.
Chicago is expected to reach 100 in two days and Washington may see 99 by the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters at MDA EarthSat echoed that sentiment, saying temperatures across the U.S. are expected to rise well above normal next week, with the central U.S. expected to see "extreme" temperatures.
Warmer-than-normal temperatures increase the need for gas-fired electricity to power air conditioning, boosting demand for natural gas. Natural gas accounts for about a quarter of U.S. electricity generation.
Natural gas prices are up nearly 45% since touching a decade-low of USD1.902 on April 19, amid indications major North American natural gas producers were cutting back on production.
Speculation that utility providers in the U.S. were switching from pricier coal to cheaper natural gas provided further support over recent weeks.
However, market players noted that sustained prices back above USD2.50 and toward the USD3.00-level likely would inspire some switching back to coal.
Market analysts have warned that without strong demand through the rest of the summer, gas inventories will reach the limits of available capacity later this year.
U.S. gas inventories did not hit the milestone 3 trillion cubic feet level until August 31 of last year.
The storage surplus to last year will have to be cut by at least another 435 billion cubic feet to avoid breaching the government's 4.1 trillion cubic feet estimate of total capacity.
Elsewhere on the NYMEX, light sweet crude oil futures for delivery in August rocketed 5.84% to trade at USD82.26 a barrel.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, natural gas futures for delivery in July traded at USD2.777 per million British thermal units during U.S. morning trade, advancing 1.93%.
Bargain hunters took advantage of Thursday’s rout by buying up the commodity at low levels.
In addition, commodity bullish news of the EU summit making progress on the debt crisis further boosted prices.
On Thursday, Profit takers hit the heating fuel after the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report that natural gas storage in the U.S. in the week ended June 22 rose by 57 billion cubic feet, above market expectations for an increase of 52 billion cubic feet.
Inventories rose by 84 billion cubic feet in the same week a year earlier, while the five-year average change for the week is an increase of 85 billion cubic feet, according to U.S. Energy Department data.
Total U.S. natural gas storage stood at 3.063 trillion cubic feet as of last week. Stocks were 653 billion cubic feet higher than last year at this time and 613 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 2.450 trillion cubic feet for this time of year.
The report showed that in the East Region, stocks were 288 billion cubic feet above the five-year average, following a net injection of 34 billion cubic feet.
Stocks in the Producing Region were 240 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 890 billion cubic feet, after a net injection of 14 billion cubic feet.
Forecasts for warmer-than-normal weather across key parts of the U.S. in the coming days limited losses.
The Commodity Weather Group said earlier in the week that temperatures were expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) later this week from the Mississippi River to the mid-Atlantic.
Chicago is expected to reach 100 in two days and Washington may see 99 by the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters at MDA EarthSat echoed that sentiment, saying temperatures across the U.S. are expected to rise well above normal next week, with the central U.S. expected to see "extreme" temperatures.
Warmer-than-normal temperatures increase the need for gas-fired electricity to power air conditioning, boosting demand for natural gas. Natural gas accounts for about a quarter of U.S. electricity generation.
Natural gas prices are up nearly 45% since touching a decade-low of USD1.902 on April 19, amid indications major North American natural gas producers were cutting back on production.
Speculation that utility providers in the U.S. were switching from pricier coal to cheaper natural gas provided further support over recent weeks.
However, market players noted that sustained prices back above USD2.50 and toward the USD3.00-level likely would inspire some switching back to coal.
Market analysts have warned that without strong demand through the rest of the summer, gas inventories will reach the limits of available capacity later this year.
U.S. gas inventories did not hit the milestone 3 trillion cubic feet level until August 31 of last year.
The storage surplus to last year will have to be cut by at least another 435 billion cubic feet to avoid breaching the government's 4.1 trillion cubic feet estimate of total capacity.
Elsewhere on the NYMEX, light sweet crude oil futures for delivery in August rocketed 5.84% to trade at USD82.26 a barrel.