U.S. Natural Gas Shipments Fall as Southeast Temperatures Hold

Scheduled natural gas deliveries to U.S. households fell for a fourth day on forecasts for higher temperatures from Illinois to Georgia that may reduce demand for the heating fuel.

A sample of scheduled deliveries to homes in the U.S. and Canada shows shipments fell 10.9 percent to 30.5 million dekatherms (29.7 billion cubic feet), according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Residences in the Southeast region, which takes in most of Illinois and excludes Florida, were to receive 4.66 million dekatherms, down 20.1 percent, Bloomberg data show.

Scheduled shipments for U.S. power plants dropped 10 percent to 11.9 million dekatherms.

The low temperature in New Orleans early today was 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius), which is normal, according to Weather Underground in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The overnight low may be 59 degrees, 3 degrees above normal.

Gas at the Henry Hub in Erath, Louisiana, the delivery point for futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, gained 0.98 cent, or 0.2 percent, to $4.3236 per million British thermal units as of 1:32 p.m. New York time on the Intercontinental Exchange.

(Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-01/u-s-natural-gas-shipments-fall-as-southeast-temperatures-steady.html)