Dutch and German day-ahead gas prices edged higher on the forward curve Thursday morning, following rising Brent crude prices and despite lower demand expectations that continued to drag TTF prompt contracts lower.
* Norwegian flows down to 46 million cu m Wednesday
* Velke Kapusany gas receipts up on higher Italian demands
* Temperatures in Germany 7-9 C above norms
Around midday London time, TTF Summer 2018 and Summer 2019 traded at Eur16.825/MWh and Eur16.45/MWh, up 2.5 euro cent/MWh and 5 euro cent/MWh, respectively, from Wednesday's assessment.
The momentum received on the curve was boosted by bullish Brent crude prices overnight, a trader said.
TTF day-ahead last dealt at Eur17.775/MWh, down 5 euro cent/MWh from Wednesday's assessment, while the German NetConnect day-ahead advanced 12.5 euro cent/MWh to Eur17.85/MWh.
CustomWeather forecast Friday temperatures in Amsterdam at 4 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms of 6/1 C, compared with 6 C above Thursday.
Friday temperatures in Berlin, in the German GASPOOL gas prices area, were expected at 9 C above seasonal norms of 3/-2 C, while in Munich, in the NCG area, Friday temperatures were expected steady at 7 C above norms.
On the supply side at around midday London time, Norwegian flow rates into Emden-Dornum on the Dutch-German border were 128 million cu m/d, compared with 106 million cu m/d on Wednesday, according to transmission system operator Gassco.
Norwegian gas flows to Netherlands dropped on Wednesday to 46 million cu m from 61.4 million cu m on Tuesday, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.
Nominations for Dutch gas production were at 103 million cu m on Thursday.
Russian gas flows via Velke Kapusany, on the Slovakia/Ukraine border, which receives gas via the Brotherhood pipeline, rose to 52.7 million cu m on Wednesday as the Italian gas system required more Russian gas on Thursday's gas day due to a cut in import capacity from Algeria lasting 24 hours.
German gas receipts from Russia via the Nord Stream and Yamal pipelines combined remained at robust levels, standing at 242 million cu m Wednesday, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.
