US spot monthly natural gas prices for May increased by 15 cents, or 3.8% on average, to $4.07/MMBtu, compared with the previous month's $3.92/MMBtu average, Inside FERC's Gas Market Report said Wednesday.
The NYMEX May gas futures contract expired at $4.152/MMBtu, up 17.6 cents, or 4.4%, from the April contract's final close of $3.976/MMBtu.
Most price points with reported deals rose compared with the month before.
The Northeast, however, was mixed, with New England prices continuing to shed previously lofty winter premiums. Algonquin Gas Transmission city-gates declined 63 cents, or 12%, to $4.63/MMBtu, and Tennessee Gas Pipeline zone 6 tumbled 57 cents, or 11%, to $4.61/MMBtu.
Elsewhere, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line zone 6-New York followed nationwide trends and rose 11 cents, or 2.6%, to a $4.34/MMBtu index for May.
Along the Gulf Coast, Henry Hub increased by 19 cents, or 4.8%, to average $4.17/MMBtu, 1.8 cents above the final NYMEX close. Transco zone 3 rose 18 cents, or 4.5%, to $4.21/MMBtu.
In Texas, Houston Ship Channel bumped up 31 cents, or 7.9%, to $4.25/MMBtu, while Katy increased 17 cents, or 4.3%, to $4.11/MMBtu.
Chicago city-gates rose by 16 cents, or 3.8%, to average $4.33/MMBtu for May, while the Consumers Energy city-gate climbed 23 cents, or 5.5%, to $4.45/MMBtu.
Field zone deals at Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line rose by 18 cents, or 4.7%, for a May index of $3.99/MMBtu, while Northwest Pipeline Rocky Mountains increased 8 cents, or 2.1%, to $3.90/MMBtu.
California price points were mixed, with Southern California Gas falling 6 cents, or 1.5%, to $4.09/MMBtu, while Pacific Gas and Electric city-gate rose by 3 cents, or less than 1%, to $4.25/MMBtu.
Volumes for IFGMR's May survey rose to 18,024 million MMBtu/d from April bidweek volumes of 17,376 million MMBtu/d. Transactions used in the survey rose to 2,912 from 2,872 the month before.
