據油價網7月21日報道，美國標準的天然氣價格7月21日早些時候出現下跌，但由于夏季氣溫飆升，以及最新報告周期內天然氣儲存增量小于預期，天然氣價格將實現四周以來的首次周漲幅。

到美東時間上午9時35分，最近期的亨利樞紐中心合約交易價格下跌1.49%，至每百萬英熱單位2.715美元。

EIA周四發布的《每周天然氣儲存報告》顯示，7月14日當周，儲存天然氣凈增加410億立方英尺。與2018至2022年五年均值的45億立方英尺凈注入數據相比，儲存增量較小，也低于分析師預期的儲存增量44億立方英尺。

較小的儲氣增量和炎熱天氣預測使得天然氣期貨價格在當地時間7月20日上漲6%。雖然價格在7月21日早些時候有所回落，但仍將實現7%至8%左右的周漲幅，這將是自6月中旬以來的最大周漲幅。

根據大型咨詢機構全球商品洞察提供的數據，上周美國總的天然氣消費量較上一周增長了5.4%。特別是得益于得克薩斯州、西南部和加利福尼亞地區的高溫天氣，用于發電的天然氣消費量周環比上漲了8.5%。得克薩斯州的用電需求在本周熱浪中創下了新高。

氣象預報顯示，美國天然氣需求至少在7月26日之前將保持較高水平。

胡耀東 譯自 油價網

原文如下：

U.S. Natural Gas Prices Set For First Weekly Gain In Four Weeks

The U.S. benchmark natural gas prices fell early on Friday but were set for the first weekly gain in four weeks as summer temperatures soar and injections into gas storage sites were smaller than expected in the latest reporting week.  

As of 9:35 a.m. EDT, the front-month Henry Hub contract traded down by 1.49% at $2.715 per million British thermal units (MMBtu).

Working gas in storage saw a net increase of 41 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in the week to July 14, the EIA’s Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report showed on Thursday. The net addition to inventories was lower compared with the five-year (2018–2022) average net injections of 45 Bcf and lower than the median estimate of analyst expectations of a 44 Bcf increase in inventories

The smaller gas stocks build and forecasts for hot weather sent natural gas futures jumping by 6% on Thursday. Prices turned lower early on Friday but they were still on course to post a weekly gain, of around 7-8%, which would be the biggest weekly gain since the middle of June.

Last week, total U.S. consumption of natural gas rose by 5.4% (3.9 Bcf/d) compared with the previous report week, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights cited by the EIA in its Natural Gas Weekly Update. Natural gas consumed for power generation jumped by 8.5% week over week with above-average temperatures in Texas, the Southwest, and California in particular. In Texas, power demand hit a record amid a heatwave this week.

Weather forecasts suggest that U.S. natural gas demand will be high at least through July 26.