RE: Pxen20 Jul 2023 22:06
(Bloomberg) -- European natural gas advanced as traders weighed extreme heat in parts of the continent and concerns about the little fuel Russia is still sending to the region.
Benchmark futures settled 3.9% higher after another session of sharp price moves. Searing temperatures in parts of the region and global competition for liquefied natural gas continue to provide upward pressure — even as flows from Norway, Europe’s top supplier, return to levels last seen in April.
Traders are also watching escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea, where Moscow has attacked agricultural storage facilities after halting the grain-export corridor. While there’ve been no statements that a tit-for-tat response against Russia could impact gas supplies, the market remains on edge.
In addition, more seasonal works are scheduled in Norway next month, and the market will be monitoring closely the maintenance schedule after unplanned delays already caused intense volatility in June. The recent price gains could be “attributed to the ongoing nervousness of the market,” analysts at Engie SA’s EnergyScan said in a daily note.
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As expected, gas traders have been closing their short positions too.