U.S. natgas rises to highest since Dec on rising LNG exports, hot weather

U.S. natural gas futures rose to their highest since December as LNG climbed while the weather was expected to remain hotter-than-normal through late August.

Traders noted any lingering concerns that prices would fall as U.S. stockpiles fill to maximum
levels have gone away now that power generators have burned record amounts of gas to keep air
conditioners humming since late June and as LNG companies boost their exports again. Analysts, however,
still expect inventories to reach a record 4.1 trillion cubic feet by the end of October.

Front-month gas futures rose 3.7 cents, or 1.7%, to $2.230 per million British thermal units
at 8:15 a.m. EDT (1215 GMT), putting the contract on track for its highest close since Dec. 26.

That kept the front-month in overbought territory with a Relative Strength Index (RSI) over 70 for a
third day in a row for the first time since November 2019.

Hurricane Isaias, which hit North Carolina Monday night, briefly broke the heat wave that has
blanketed much of the country since late June. The storm knocked out power to more than three million
homes and businesses from North Carolina to Maine. Its remnants are over Quebec.

But with hot weather expected to return, data provider Refinitiv projected U.S. demand, including
exports, will rise from an average of 88.6 bcfd this week to 91.0 bcfd next week. That is a little lower
than Refinitiv's outlook on Tuesday as higher gas prices cause power generators to burn more coal
instead of gas.

U.S. LNG exports are on track to rise for the first time in six months as the amount of pipeline gas
flowing to the plants rose to 4.0 bcfd in August from a 21-month low of 3.3 bcfd in July when buyers
canceled dozens of cargoes.

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