-- Natural gas edged up from a 17-month low early Friday on weak seasonal demand, mild forecasts and high supply.
Gas for May delivery was last seen up $0.01 to US$2.68 per million British thermal units after falling to the lowest since November 2024 a day earlier.
The price of the fuel has been pressured as mild spring temperatures cut into demand while supply remains high. Long-term forecasts from the National Weather Service expect most states to see seasonal or warmer temperatures over its six to 14 day outlook.
"(Natural gas) has remained subdued largely under pressure from seasonal shifts as warmer weather continues to unfold. Demand has moderated given this seasonal shift while supply remains abundant," Christopher Louney, natural gas and gold strategist at RBC Capital Markets wrote in a note to clients.
In its weekly survey of inventories of the fuel released Thursday, the Energy Information Administration reported stocks rose by 50-billion cubic feet last week, above expectations for a rise of up to 48-bcf according to NatGasWeather. The rise left inventories at 1.91-trillion cubic feet, 4.8% above the five-year average for the week.