A One-Off Bullish Natural Gas Data - Analyst Blog
January 30 2012 - 11:18AM
Zacks
The U.S. Energy Department's weekly inventory release showed a
larger-than-expected drop in natural gas supplies, as imports from
Canada declined. However, this is largely seen as a one-off shot,
with warmer-than-normal temperatures across the country restricting
the commodity’s requirement for power burn. In fact, gas stocks –
currently 21.4% above the 5-year average and 20.7% higher than the
same period last year – are at their highest level for this time of
the year, reflecting low demand amid robust onshore output.
The Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report – brought out by the
Energy Information Administration (EIA) every Thursday since 2002 –
includes updates on natural gas market prices, the latest storage
level estimates, recent weather data and other market activities or
events.
The report provides an overview of the level of reserves and
their movements, thereby helping investors understand the
demand/supply dynamics of natural gas.
It is an indicator of current gas prices and volatility that
affect businesses of natural gas-weighted companies and related
support plays like Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
(APC), Chesapeake Energy
(CHK), EnCana Corp.
(ECA), Devon Energy Corp.
(DVN), Nabors Industries
(NBR), Patterson-UTI Energy
(PTEN), Helmerich & Payne
(HP) and Halliburton Co.
(HAL).
Stockpiles held in underground storage in the lower 48 states
fell by 192 billion cubic feet (Bcf) for the week ended January 20,
2012, above the guidance range (of 171–175 Bcf draw) as per the
analysts surveyed by Platts, the energy information arm of
McGraw-Hill Companies Inc
(MHP).
The decrease – the ninth consecutive withdrawal of the 2011-2012
winter heating season after stocks hit an all-time high in
mid-November – is above last year’s draw of 184 Bcf and the 5-year
(2007–2011) average drawdown of 173 Bcf for the reported week.
Notwithstanding this, the current storage level – at 3.098 trillion
cubic feet (Tcf) – is up 531 Bcf (20.7%) from last year and 547 Bcf
(21.4%) over the five-year average.
A supply glut pressured natural gas futures for most of 2011, as
production from dense rock formations (shale) – through novel
techniques of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing –
remained robust, thereby overwhelming demand. As a matter of fact,
natural gas prices have dropped approximately 44% from 2011 peak of
about $5.00 per million Btu (MMBtu) in June to the current level of
around $2.80 (referring to spot prices at the Henry Hub, the
benchmark supply point in Louisiana).
To make matters worse, mild winter weather across most of the
country has curbed natural gas demand for heating, indicating a
grossly oversupplied market that continues to pressure commodity
prices in the backdrop of sustained strong production.
ANADARKO PETROL (APC): Free Stock Analysis Report
CHESAPEAKE ENGY (CHK): Free Stock Analysis Report
DEVON ENERGY (DVN): Free Stock Analysis Report
ENCANA CORP (ECA): Free Stock Analysis Report
HALLIBURTON CO (HAL): Free Stock Analysis Report
HELMERICH&PAYNE (HP): Free Stock Analysis Report
MCGRAW-HILL COS (MHP): Free Stock Analysis Report
NABORS IND (NBR): Free Stock Analysis Report
PATTERSON-UTI (PTEN): Free Stock Analysis Report
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