Front-month gas futures for December delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange fell 25.1 cents, or 7.1%, to settle at $3.264 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), their lowest close since Oct. 27.
One bearish factor that has weighed on the futures market for most of this year has been lower spot or next-day prices at the Henry Hub benchmark in Louisiana.
The spot market has traded below front-month futures for 176 out of 212 trading days so far this year, according to data from financial firm LSEG.
That premium could encourage some speculators to leave gas in storage for longer in hopes of higher prices later in the winter.
With seasonally colder weather coming, LSEG forecast U.S. gas demand in the Lower 48 states, including exports, would jump from 101.5 bcfd this week to 109.2 bcfd next week.
Persons:
El, Gelber, LSEG, Scott DiSavino, Bernadette Baum, Josie Kao
Organizations:
El Nino, Associates, U.S . Energy Information Administration, New York Mercantile Exchange, Henry, Thomson
Locations:
Louisiana, contango, U.S