UK GAS-Prices rise as Gazprom plant fire stokes supply issues

LONDON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - British wholesale gas prices rose
on Friday morning with supply from Russia curbed following a
fire at a Gazprom plant on Thursday.

* The weekend contract was up 5.50 pence at
109.00
p/therm by 0848 GMT.

* A fire at Gazprom’s Urengoy gas condensate preparation
facility
plant on Thursday has impacted flows through the Mallnow plant,
which predominantly handles Russian flows to Europe.

* “The bullish sentiments around the fire in Russia might
continue
supporting the prices today,” analysts at Refinitiv said in a
daily research note.

* “Although the Mallnow flows seem to be restoring this
morning
the prospects that flows will return to the levels seen prior to
August is at more risk now,” the Refintiv analysts said.

* Wind speeds are also expected to drop next week, which has
pushed up expectations of demand for gas from power stations.

* Analysts at Refinitiv forecast day-ahead gas-for-power
demand at
37 million cubic metres (mcm), up 18 mcm on the previous
forecast.

* The Winter 2021 contract rose by 4.35 pence
to
110.50 p/therm.

* The September gas price at the Dutch TTF hub < TRNLTTFMc1>
was
up 1.28 euros at 44.38 euros per megawatt hour.

* The benchmark Dec-21 EU carbon contract was up
0.76
euro at 56.72 euros per tonne.

* The benchmark Dec-21 British carbon contract was
up
0.65 pounds at 48.50 pounds per tonne.
(Reporting By Susanna Twidale; editing by Nina Chestney)