UK GAS-Prices slightly higher as wind power, LNG flows dip

LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - British wholesale gas prices
rose slightly on Friday as a forecast dip in wind power output
increased gas demand from power stations and flows of liquefied
natural gas (LNG) fell.

* The within-day contract was up 0.50 pence at
53.25
p/therm by 0837 GMT.

* The day-ahead contract was up 0.60 p at 53.35
p/therm.

* Traders said that although the market was slightly
over-supplied
on Friday, a drop in wind power output, lower LNG flows and some
ongoing outages had pushed prices higher.

* Flows from Britain’s LNG terminals were forecast at 69
million
cubic metres (mcm) on Friday, down 8 mcm on the previous day,
Refinitiv Eikon data showed.

* Peak wind power generation is forecast at 12.5 gigawatts
(GW) on
Friday, falling to 4.5 GW on Saturday, Elexon data showed.

* "Wind power production is expected to stay well below
seasonal
normal until early May and nuclear output remains steady at 5.5
GW," analysts at Refinitiv said in a daily research note.

* Outages cut supply from the Bacton gas terminals, with
flows at
zero from Bacton Perenco and Bacton Seal on Friday morning.

* Seven of Britain’s 15 nuclear reactors are currently
offline,
with an unplanned outage at Hartlepool 2 extended to April 10
from April 9.

* The May gas contract was up 0.50 p at 47.70
p/therm.

* The day-ahead gas price at the Dutch TTF hub
was up
0.15 euro at 19.60 per megawatt hour.

* The benchmark Dec-21 EU carbon contract was down
0.18
euro at 43.30 euros per tonne.
(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Nina Chestney)