Natural Gas Radar

2026-02-16 23:48

Table of Contents

Brian's Thoughts

Published: 02/16/2026 Focus: Natural Gas
Natural gas just went from Arctic panic to actuarial recalculation in about ten trading sessions. We yanked a combined 609 Bcf out of storage in two weeks, including a record -360 Bcf draw followed by -249 Bcf versus a -146 Bcf five-year norm, pushing inventories to roughly 2,206 Bcf, about 6% below average. But production is already rebounding toward ~108 Bcf/d, rigs have climbed to 130 which is a 2.5-year high, and next week’s demand is projected to slide from ~141 Bcf/d to 124 Bcf/d as warmth spreads. LNG is the structural spine at 18.5–19.6 Bcf/d, yet Waha printing negative prices tells you regional oversupply still exists under the hood. So the market isn’t tight by destiny, it’s tight by weather, and if late-season cold fizzles, the storage deficit can evaporate faster than winter bulls would prefer. Daily Hit List * Sunday & Monday early trading dropped BIGTIME - all the way to $3 after weather proved to be less impactful short-term and very bearish for the rest of Feb. But I would not count out winter just yet. Technically there are too many gaps up above that need to be filled to 3.449 - so we will rise, however near term a drop to 2.75 could be in the works. Monday trading leads to a gap fill of 3.24

Today's Update

Updated: 2026-02-16 23:47:06 Length: 537 chars
Natural gas has transitioned from panic to pragmatism, with a hefty 609 Bcf drawn from storage in two weeks, pushing inventories 6% below average. However, production is bouncing back to 108 Bcf/d, and rig counts are at a two-year high. Demand is projected to dip from 141 Bcf/d to 124 Bcf/d as warmer weather settles in. Despite recent price drops to four-month lows, regional oversupply persists, evidenced by Waha's negative pricing. The market remains tight due to weather, but a warm trend could quickly shift the storage narrative.

Executive Summary

Total supply decreased by 1.3 BCFD | Total demand decreased by 12.1 BCFD | Market is undersupplied by 28.12 BCFD

Technical Analysis

Overall Technical Score (-5 to +5): 0 (Neutral)
Current Price: $3.11
Signal: Neutral

Moving Averages (9/20)

BEARISH

MA(9): $3.26

MA(20): $4.23

Current Price is 3.11, 9 day MA 3.26, 20 day MA 4.23

MACD (12, 26, 9)

BEARISH

MACD: -0.3112

Signal: -0.1791

Days since crossover: 11

MACD crossed the line 11 days ago and is in a bearish setup

RSI (14)

NEUTRAL

Value: 41.72

Category: NEUTRAL

RSI is 41.72 (note 70% is overbought and 30% is oversold)

Volume (vs 20d Avg)

LOWER

Current: 56,681

Avg (20d): 233,162

Ratio: 0.24

Volume is lower versus 20 day average

Stochastic (14, 3)

OVERSOLD

%K: 2.82

%D: 3.38

Stochastic %K: 2.82, %D: 3.38. Signal: oversold

ADX (14)

NO TREND

ADX: 19.38

+DI: 26.28

-DI: 24.4

ADX: 19.38 (+DI: 26.28, -DI: 24.4). Trend: no trend

Williams %R (14)

OVERSOLD

Value: -97.18

Williams %R: -97.18 (oversold)

Bollinger Bands (20, 2)

BELOW MIDDLE

Upper: 6.96

Middle: 4.23

Lower: 1.49

Price vs BBands (20, 2): below middle. Upper: 6.96, Middle: 4.23, Lower: 1.49

Fundamental Analysis

Category Current (BCFD) Last Week Last Year 3 Yr Avg
Dry Production 108.1 108.5 106.1 103.1
LNG Imports 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.13
Canadian Imports 5.2 6.1 6.3 5.8
Total Supply 113.3 114.6 112.5 109.03
Industrial Demand 23.3 23.5 25.6 25.0
Electric Power Demand 38.0 40.4 34.1 32.07
Residential & Commercial 46.3 55.7 44.7 40.83
LNG Exports 18.7 18.7 15.7 13.83
Mexico Exports 6.3 6.4 6.5 5.73
Pipeline Fuel 8.83 8.83 8.1 7.83
Total Demand 141.42 153.52 134.6 125.13
Supply/Demand Balance -28.12 -38.92 -22.1 -16.1

Weather Analysis

Natural Gas Weather Impact: HIGH heating demand - significant cold spell (BELOW normal heating demand) (Heating-dominated conditions driving natural gas demand)

Weather Analysis Summary

Heating Degree Days (Utility Gas Weighted)
Last 7 Days: 188.0 HDD -23.0 vs Normal
Next 7 Days: 147.0 HDD -35.0 vs Normal
Cooling Degree Days (Population Weighted)
Last 7 Days: 0.0 CDD +0.0 vs Normal
Next 7 Days: 4.0 CDD +4.0 vs Normal

Weather Trend Analysis (Click charts to zoom)

HDD Analysis
HDD Analysis Chart
CDD Analysis
CDD Analysis Chart

Detailed Data

Recent HDD Data
Date HDD Normal Anomaly
02/08 33.0 31.0 +2.0
02/09 29.0 30.0 -1.0
02/10 26.0 30.0 -4.0
02/11 25.0 30.0 -5.0
02/12 26.0 30.0 -4.0
02/13 25.0 31.0 -6.0
02/14 24.0 29.0 -5.0
HDD Forecast
Date HDD Normal Anomaly
02/16 20.0 28.0 -8.0
02/17 19.0 28.0 -9.0
02/18 17.0 27.0 -10.0
02/19 19.0 26.0 -7.0
02/20 22.0 25.0 -3.0
02/21 24.0 24.0 +0.0
02/22 26.0 24.0 +2.0
Recent CDD Data
Date CDD Normal Anomaly
02/08 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/09 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/10 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/11 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/12 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/13 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/14 0.0 0.0 +0.0
CDD Forecast
Date CDD Normal Anomaly
02/16 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/17 0.0 0.0 +0.0
02/18 1.0 0.0 +1.0
02/19 1.0 0.0 +1.0
02/20 1.0 0.0 +1.0
02/21 1.0 0.0 +1.0
02/22 0.0 0.0 +0.0
Data Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Region: CONUS Climatology: 1981-2010 Normal Period

Economic Analysis

Economic Sentiment Summary

NEUTRAL - Mixed economic signals
Dollar Impact: Strong USD may pressure commodity prices
Industrial Demand: Weaker industrial demand signals
Interest Rate Impact: Stable/lower rates may support demand
Risk Sentiment: Moderate market volatility

Economic Indicators

USD_INDEX

97.12
Daily: 0.24 (0.25%)
Weekly: 0.32 (0.33%)

US_10Y

4.06
Daily: -0.05 (-1.17%)
Weekly: -0.14 (-3.38%)

SP500

6836.17
Daily: 3.41 (0.05%)
Weekly: -128.65 (-1.85%)

VIX

21.2
Daily: 0.6 (2.91%)
Weekly: 3.41 (19.17%)

GOLD

4969.4
Daily: -52.6 (-1.05%)
Weekly: -34.4 (-0.69%)

COPPER

5.71
Daily: -0.09 (-1.49%)
Weekly: -0.19 (-3.22%)

CFTC Commitment of Traders Analysis

Natural Gas Positioning (NAT GAS NYME - NEW YORK MERCANTILE EXCHANGE)

Report Date: 2026-02-10
Sentiment: Bearish and Strengthening
Positioning: Normal Range

Open Interest

1,623,408
Change: -32,575

Managed Money

-8,188
Change: -8,141
-0.5% of OI

Producer/Merchant

27,616
Change: -8,933
1.7% of OI

Swap Dealers

131,826
Change: +4,919
8.1% of OI

Other Reportables

-163,677
Change: +8,586
-10.1% of OI

Analysis Rationale (Managed Money):

  • Managed Money sentiment: bearish and strengthening

Crude Oil Positioning (WTI-PHYSICAL - NEW YORK MERCANTILE EXCHANGE)

Report Date: 2026-02-10
Sentiment: Bullish and Strengthening
Positioning: Normal Range

Open Interest

2,070,538
Change: -20,776

Managed Money

79,146
Change: +2,386
3.8% of OI

Producer/Merchant

168,124
Change: -2,516
8.1% of OI

Swap Dealers

-323,990
Change: -851
-15.6% of OI

Analysis Rationale (Managed Money):

  • Managed Money sentiment: bullish and strengthening

LNG Market Analysis

LNG Market Summary

TTF prices decreased to 11.544 EUR/MWh (-0.091). JKM prices decreased to 10.993 USD/MMBtu (-0.012). JKM is trading at a discount of 0.551 to TTF, suggesting weaker Asian demand.

TTF Prices

11.544

-0.091

Front month: MAR 26

As of 2026-02-16

JKM Prices

10.993

-0.012

Front month: MAR 26

As of 2026-02-16

JKM-TTF Spread

-0.551

-4.77%

JKM is trading at a discount to TTF, suggesting weaker Asian demand.

As of 2026-02-16

Forward Curves Visualization
TTF (EUR/MWh)
JKM (USD/MMBtu)
11.7
11.3
10.9
10.5
10.1
11.54
10.99
MAR 26
10.79
10.52
APR 26
10.51
10.28
MAY 26
10.38
10.36
JUN 26
10.37
10.51
JUL 26
10.39
10.63
AUG 26
10.53
10.54
SEP 26
10.57
10.59
OCT 26
10.69
10.61
NOV 26
10.76
10.84
DEC 26
10.81
10.99
JAN 27
10.78
10.90
FEB 27
TTF Forward Curve (Next 12 Months)
Month Price (EUR/MWh)
MAR 26 11.544
APR 26 10.791
MAY 26 10.507
JUN 26 10.382
JUL 26 10.365
AUG 26 10.393
SEP 26 10.526
OCT 26 10.573
NOV 26 10.688
DEC 26 10.759
JAN 27 10.813
FEB 27 10.776
JKM Forward Curve (Next 12 Months)
Month Price (USD/MMBtu)
MAR 26 10.993
APR 26 10.515
MAY 26 10.275
JUN 26 10.355
JUL 26 10.505
AUG 26 10.635
SEP 26 10.540
OCT 26 10.590
NOV 26 10.605
DEC 26 10.840
JAN 27 10.990
FEB 27 10.905

News & Sentiment Analysis

Market Sentiment Overview

BEARISH
Average Polarity: -0.333
Confidence: 1.0
Articles Analyzed: 40
Last Updated: 2026-02-16 23:47:55

Commodity Sentiment

HEATING_OIL

0.0

NATURAL_GAS

-0.6

CRUDE_OIL

-0.4

Fibonacci Levels Analysis

Current Price: $3.11
Closest Support: $2.97 4.5% below current price
Closest Resistance: $4.11 32.15% above current price

Fibonacci Retracement Levels

0.0 $2.97 Support
0.236 $4.11 Resistance
0.382 $4.82
0.5 $5.4
0.618 $5.97
0.786 $6.79
1.0 $7.83

Fibonacci Extension Levels

1.272 $9.15
1.618 $10.83
2.0 $12.69
2.618 $15.69

ML Price Prediction

Current Price: $3.24
Forecast Generated: 2026-02-16 23:47:56
Next Trading Day: UP 0.46%
Date Prediction Lower Bound Upper Bound
2026-02-14 $3.26 $1.65 $4.86
2026-02-15 $3.25 $1.65 $4.86
2026-02-16 $3.25 $1.65 $4.86
2026-02-17 $3.25 $1.64 $4.85
2026-02-18 $3.25 $1.64 $4.85

ML Insights

  • Forecast generated using ARIMA(5, 1, 0).
  • The model predicts a price increase of ~0.46% for the next trading day (2026-02-14), reaching $3.26.
  • The 5-day forecast suggests relatively stable prices between 2026-02-14 and 2026-02-18.
  • The average confidence interval width is ~98.7% of the predicted price, indicating model uncertainty.
  • SIGNAL: Weak bullish signal, high uncertainty.

AI Analysis

💹

For Energy Traders:

Current market indicators suggest a neutral stance with a Fibonacci support at 2.97 and resistance at 4.11. The fundamental balance is showing a negative trend of -28.12 BCFD, which could indicate potential volatility in the short term.

The ML price forecast suggests a slight upward movement of 0.46%, with a trading range between 1.65 and 4.86. Traders should be cautious of the overall market sentiment score of -0.300, which could lead to short-term price fluctuations.

For Producers (Oil & Gas Companies):

Producers should consider the implications of the fundamental balance of -28.12 BCFD, indicating a tightening supply-demand dynamic. This may necessitate adjustments in production planning and hedging strategies to mitigate risks associated with potential price volatility.

The bearish sentiment towards natural gas, with a score of -0.600, suggests that market conditions may not favor aggressive production increases at this time. Monitoring geopolitical developments and weather impacts will be crucial for strategic decision-making.

🏭

For Consumers (Industrial/Utilities):

Consumers should prepare for potential cost fluctuations in energy procurement due to the negative fundamental balance of -28.12 BCFD. The high heating demand expected across regions could lead to increased prices, particularly as heating degree days (HDD) rise significantly.

Given the overall market sentiment, consumers should consider hedging options to manage potential price spikes, especially with the forecasted low cooling demand.

📊

For Commodity Professionals (Analysts, Consultants):

The current energy market landscape is characterized by a bearish sentiment with an overall score of -0.300. Key drivers include a fundamental balance of -28.12 BCFD and a weather outlook that favors high heating demand.

The ML price forecast indicates a potential uptick in prices, but the prevailing market sentiment and geopolitical factors suggest caution. Analysts should focus on the interplay between supply dynamics and weather patterns to forecast future market shifts effectively.

Disclaimer: This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or specific buy/sell recommendations.