U.S. Natural Gas Recovers as LNG Exports Climb, but Trend Signals Stay Cautious

U.S. natural gas futures rebounded on Thursday, rising more than 3% to move back above $4 per MMBtu as strong feedgas demand from liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants supported prices. Flows to the eight major U.S. LNG terminals have averaged 18.6 Bcf/d so far in December, surpassing November’s 18.2 Bcf/d, while one of the three liquefaction trains at the Freeport LNG facility in Texas has returned to operation, enabling higher export volumes. The recovery in gas contrasts with broader weakness across the energy complex, where Oil – US Crude has also faced selling pressure. Market participants remain cautious, however, as forecasts and fundamental outlooks suggest the latest bounce in U.S. gas may prove temporary if winter demand and storage dynamics fail to tighten meaningfully.

Over the past month, Natural Gas has declined about 7.50%, reflecting prior concerns about ample inventories and uneven seasonal consumption, even as LNG exports trend near record levels. The near-term backdrop is mixed, with the 1-day technical indicator for natural gas sitting at Hold, suggesting traders are waiting for clearer direction from weather patterns and export flows. In crude, U.S. benchmark prices have fallen roughly 7.09% over the last month, reinforcing a bearish tone for Oil – US Crude amid demand worries and supply resilience, while its 1-day technical stance is tilted to Sell, pointing to ongoing downside risk in the short term. Investors can explore more updates, prices, and analysis across global markets at Commodities.