Natural gas briefly dips under $3 as U.S. gas storage build tops estimates
--EIA: U.S. natural gas stocks rise 28 bcf
--Analysts had seen 23-bcf injection
By Jerry A. DiColo NEW YORK--Natural gas futures slumped Thursday after government data showed a larger increase in U.S. gas stockpiles than analysts and traders had expected.
Natural gas for September delivery recently traded 15.5 cents, or 4.9%, lower at $3.016 a million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange after falling as low as $2.956 immediately following the report, the lowest intraday price since July 19.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration said natural gas stockpiles rose by 28 billion cubic feet in the week ended July 27, topping the 23-bcf build forecast in a Dow Jones Newswires survey of analysts and traders.
Total stockpiles rose to 3.217 trillion cubic feet, 17% above last year's level for this time of year and 14.5% above the five-year average for the same period.
The report quickly sent investors running from bets on higher prices.
"It's taken a bit of the wind out of the market," said Matt Smith, an analyst with Summit Energy. He noted however, that the market has stabilized near $3, which will likely serve as a floor for prices after the quick selloff.
"Every time we're hitting the floor of $3, we're getting some buying interest," Mr. Smith said.
Hotter-than-normal temperatures across the U.S. in June and July raised demand from gas-fired power plants as homes and businesses cranked up air conditioning. The warm weather contributed to a sharp slowdown in the growth of U.S. gas inventories, leading to a rally in natural gas that pushed prices to seven-month highs last week.
While the weekly storage injection came in above analyst estimates, the build was still much lower than average for this time of year. Last year, inventories rose by 43 bcf, while the five-year average for this week is an increase of 56 bcf.
In March, U.S. inventories stood 60% above the five-year average level for that time of year.
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center is tracking a tropical depression that has formed east of the Windward Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
Jim Ritterbusch, head of energy-trading advisor Ritterbusch and Associates, said investors appear to have put a small "storm premium" into the market earlier this week, but he noted that the storm system isn't yet "working its way" toward the Gulf Of Mexico, where it could affect U.S. natural gas production.