US natural gas futures jump as much as 5%
The move follows a rise in physical prices and short covering ahead of Thursday's storage report, Natural Gas Intelligence reports.
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UpdateThursday, September 24, 2026 at 11:40 AM ET
The gain has grown from as much as 5% to more than 6%.
US natural gas futures extend their advance, up more than 6% Thursday morning, as oil prices also continue to rise.
US natural gas futures are up as much as 5% Thursday morning, extending gains built up over the week.
On Wednesday, physical natural gas prices rose as signs of heating demand met lower production readings, and futures added to that move on a dip in output, bargain hunting and short covering ahead of a closely watched storage report, according to Natural Gas Intelligence.
A separate reduction in pipeline capacity earlier this month adds context. From September 16 to 21, maintenance at ANR Pipeline's Mermentau and Grand Chenier compressor stations cut capacity on the Lake Arthur Southbound corridor by nearly 0.70 Bcf per day, a route that normally carries about 1 Bcf per day of offshore Gulf gas through ANR's Southeast Gathering Area, Natural Gas Intelligence reported. The outage affected roughly two thirds of premium capacity, raising the risk that ANR would owe shippers financial credits, the outlet said.
A 5% intraday swing is typical for natural gas and does not by itself point to a shift in the market's longer-term view. Without clarity on how large any current supply disruption is or how long it might last, the move reads as ordinary volatility rather than a lasting repricing.