-- US natural gas futures rose in midday trading on Monday as escalating geopolitical tensions and supply disruptions in key LNG markets lifted global price expectations.
The front-month Henry Hub contract and the continuous contract both rose by 2.54% to $2.59 per million British thermal units.
US natural gas futures stayed near an 18-month low, pressured by rising inventories and mild weather, according to Trading Economics.
Storage levels climbed to 8% above seasonal norms for the week ended April 24, up from 7% a week earlier, while the Energy Information Administration reported a 103 billion cubic feet injection for the week ended April 17, above forecasts, last year's 77 Bcf build, and the five-year average of 64 Bcf, Trading Economics said.
In the US, natural gas prices had faced recent pressure, with prompt-month Henry Hub futures falling last week alongside declines across the forward curve, as production and demand remained largely steady, according to NRG Energy.
US supply fundamentals were steady, with production near 106.5 Bcf/d and demand around 102 Bcf/d, while weather-driven heating demand fluctuated and LNG feedgas eased, NRG Energy said.
Imports from Canada declined to 4.7 Bcf/d from 5.5 Bcf/d the previous week, NRG Energy added.
Mild weather is expected to curb demand over the course of the week. "Mild weather continues to suppress broad demand, with only residual heating load in northern markets and limited early cooling demand nationally," Pinebrook Energy Advisors said in a daily note.
According to NatGasWeather, the Rockies and Northern Plains are expected to be mild to cool over the next few days as weather systems move through, bringing showers and highs in the 50s-60s.
The rest of the US is projected to be pleasant to warm, with highs in the 60s to 80s, except for hotter conditions in Texas, where temperatures will reach the 90s, NatGasWeather said. Cooler air is also forecast to spread across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast later in the week, extending into Texas and the South, with highs generally in the 60s to 70s and locally in the 80s.
Overall, demand is expected to be moderate over the next seven days, according to NatGasWeather.
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Iran has reportedly proposed easing restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifts economic and military pressure and agrees to end hostilities, while postponing discussions on its nuclear program.