Natural Gas Radar

2026-05-15 23:47

Table of Contents

Brian's Thoughts

Published: 05/15/2026 Focus: Natural Gas
Nat Gas finally pushed up towards $3 (we’ve been saying this ever since we touched the $2.50 level) - the challenge here is that we are looking at the mildest weather period of the year so expectations for bull moves are quiet and will continue to be that way until heat arrives. Long range forecasts point to a really HOT HOT HOT summer - if true - this will be the lowest we see Nat Gas all year - and I think we are headed to $3.50+ soon (assuming weather expectations hold).

Today's Update

Updated: 2026-05-15 23:46:36 Length: 499 chars
Natural Gas prices have finally surged towards $3, buoyed by forecasts of warmer weather, which could ignite demand as we head into summer. Despite the current mild conditions, traders are optimistic about potential heat waves, projecting a rise to $3.50+ if these forecasts hold true. As output decreases and European gas prices climb, the market sentiment suggests a bullish trajectory. Keep an eye on weather developments, as they could significantly impact demand and prices in the coming weeks.

Executive Summary

Total supply decreased by 0.1 BCFD | Total demand decreased by 6.0 BCFD | Market is oversupplied by 7.58 BCFD

Technical Analysis

Overall Technical Score (-5 to +5): -2 (Moderately Bearish)
Current Price: $2.96
Signal: Moderately Bearish

Moving Averages (9/20)

BULLISH

MA(9): $2.84

MA(20): $2.75

Current Price is 2.96, 9 day MA 2.84, 20 day MA 2.75

MACD (12, 26, 9)

BULLISH

MACD: 0.0256

Signal: -0.0109

Days since crossover: 20

MACD crossed the line 20 days ago and is in a bullish setup

RSI (14)

NEUTRAL

Value: 60.09

Category: NEUTRAL

RSI is 60.09 (note 70% is overbought and 30% is oversold)

Volume (vs 20d Avg)

HIGHER

Current: 128,107

Avg (20d): 114,630

Ratio: 1.12

Volume is higher versus 20 day average

Stochastic (14, 3)

OVERBOUGHT

%K: 95.79

%D: 89.07

Stochastic %K: 95.79, %D: 89.07. Signal: overbought

ADX (14)

NO TREND

ADX: 17.09

+DI: 24.27

-DI: 12.4

ADX: 17.09 (+DI: 24.27, -DI: 12.4). Trend: no trend

Williams %R (14)

OVERBOUGHT

Value: -4.21

Williams %R: -4.21 (overbought)

Bollinger Bands (20, 2)

ABOVE MIDDLE

Upper: 2.99

Middle: 2.75

Lower: 2.5

Price vs BBands (20, 2): above middle. Upper: 2.99, Middle: 2.75, Lower: 2.5

Fundamental Analysis

Category Current (BCFD) Last Week Last Year 3 Yr Avg
Dry Production 106.5 107.1 105.7 101.77
LNG Imports 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.07
Canadian Imports 4.5 4.0 4.7 5.0
Total Supply 111.0 111.1 110.4 106.77
Industrial Demand 21.6 22.3 22.6 22.13
Electric Power Demand 28.1 30.7 30.2 31.27
Residential & Commercial 21.4 23.7 12.0 12.6
LNG Exports 16.6 17.1 15.9 13.7
Mexico Exports 6.9 6.8 7.0 6.43
Pipeline Fuel 8.83 8.83 6.6 7.3
Total Demand 103.42 109.42 94.4 93.43
Supply/Demand Balance 7.58 1.68 16.0 13.33

Weather Analysis

Natural Gas Weather Impact: LOW heating demand - mild conditions (Heating-dominated conditions driving natural gas demand)

Weather Analysis Summary

Heating Degree Days (Utility Gas Weighted)
Last 7 Days: 50.0 HDD +8.0 vs Normal
Next 7 Days: 17.0 HDD -17.0 vs Normal
Cooling Degree Days (Population Weighted)
Last 7 Days: 14.0 CDD -7.0 vs Normal
Next 7 Days: 47.0 CDD +23.0 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
05/07 10.0 6.0 +4.0
05/08 9.0 6.0 +3.0
05/09 6.0 6.0 +0.0
05/10 6.0 6.0 +0.0
05/11 7.0 6.0 +1.0
05/12 6.0 6.0 +0.0
05/13 6.0 6.0 +0.0
HDD Forecast
Date HDD Normal Anomaly
05/15 5.0 5.0 +0.0
05/16 2.0 5.0 -3.0
05/17 2.0 5.0 -3.0
05/18 2.0 5.0 -3.0
05/19 2.0 5.0 -3.0
05/20 2.0 5.0 -3.0
05/21 2.0 4.0 -2.0
Recent CDD Data
Date CDD Normal Anomaly
05/07 1.0 3.0 -2.0
05/08 1.0 3.0 -2.0
05/09 2.0 3.0 -1.0
05/10 3.0 3.0 +0.0
05/11 3.0 3.0 +0.0
05/12 2.0 3.0 -1.0
05/13 2.0 3.0 -1.0
CDD Forecast
Date CDD Normal Anomaly
05/15 3.0 3.0 +0.0
05/16 5.0 3.0 +2.0
05/17 7.0 3.0 +4.0
05/18 9.0 3.0 +6.0
05/19 9.0 4.0 +5.0
05/20 8.0 4.0 +4.0
05/21 6.0 4.0 +2.0
Data Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Region: CONUS Climatology: 1981-2010 Normal Period

Economic Analysis

Economic Sentiment Summary

NEGATIVE - Economic indicators showing headwinds
Dollar Impact: Strong USD may pressure commodity prices
Industrial Demand: Weaker industrial demand signals
Interest Rate Impact: Rising rates may impact energy demand
Risk Sentiment: Low market volatility/risk appetite

Economic Indicators

USD_INDEX

99.27
Daily: 0.39 (0.39%)
Weekly: 1.33 (1.36%)

US_10Y

4.6
Daily: 0.13 (3.0%)
Weekly: 0.19 (4.2%)

SP500

7408.5
Daily: -92.74 (-1.24%)
Weekly: -4.34 (-0.06%)

VIX

18.43
Daily: 1.17 (6.78%)
Weekly: 0.05 (0.27%)

GOLD

4543.6
Daily: -134.5 (-2.88%)
Weekly: -175.1 (-3.71%)

COPPER

6.29
Daily: -0.28 (-4.23%)
Weekly: -0.12 (-1.93%)

CFTC Commitment of Traders Analysis

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

Report Date: 2026-05-12
Sentiment: Bearish and Strengthening
Positioning: Normal Range

Open Interest

1,628,279
Change: -358

Managed Money

-120,065
Change: -12,576
-7.4% of OI

Producer/Merchant

-26,324
Change: +1,717
-1.6% of OI

Swap Dealers

185,567
Change: +4,376
11.4% of OI

Other Reportables

-56,241
Change: +2,916
-3.5% of OI

Analysis Rationale (Managed Money):

  • Managed Money sentiment: bearish and strengthening

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

Report Date: 2026-05-12
Sentiment: Bullish and Strengthening
Positioning: Normal Range

Open Interest

2,081,927
Change: +14,100

Managed Money

72,801
Change: +2,010
3.5% of OI

Producer/Merchant

357,407
Change: +19,906
17.2% of OI

Swap Dealers

-553,541
Change: -9,890
-26.6% of OI

Analysis Rationale (Managed Money):

  • Managed Money sentiment: bullish and strengthening

LNG Market Analysis

LNG Market Summary

TTF prices increased to 16.054 EUR/MWh (+0.106). JKM prices increased to 17.065 USD/MMBtu (+0.045). JKM is trading at a premium of 1.011 to TTF, indicating strong Asian demand.

TTF Prices

16.054

+0.106

Front month: JUN 26

As of 2026-05-15

JKM Prices

17.065

+0.045

Front month: JUN 26

As of 2026-05-15

JKM-TTF Spread

1.011

6.30%

JKM is trading at a premium to TTF, indicating strong Asian demand.

As of 2026-05-15

Forward Curves Visualization
TTF (EUR/MWh)
JKM (USD/MMBtu)
18.6
16.8
15.0
13.2
11.4
16.05
17.07
JUN 26
16.30
18.02
JUL 26
16.27
17.83
AUG 26
16.26
17.46
SEP 26
16.11
16.98
OCT 26
15.79
16.79
NOV 26
15.72
16.68
DEC 26
15.61
16.32
JAN 27
15.44
15.61
FEB 27
14.84
14.10
MAR 27
12.71
12.46
APR 27
11.98
12.39
MAY 27
TTF Forward Curve (Next 12 Months)
Month Price (EUR/MWh)
JUN 26 16.054
JUL 26 16.297
AUG 26 16.272
SEP 26 16.260
OCT 26 16.109
NOV 26 15.792
DEC 26 15.722
JAN 27 15.612
FEB 27 15.436
MAR 27 14.836
APR 27 12.707
MAY 27 11.977
JKM Forward Curve (Next 12 Months)
Month Price (USD/MMBtu)
JUN 26 17.065
JUL 26 18.025
AUG 26 17.830
SEP 26 17.465
OCT 26 16.980
NOV 26 16.790
DEC 26 16.680
JAN 27 16.325
FEB 27 15.605
MAR 27 14.095
APR 27 12.460
MAY 27 12.390

LNG Flows Analysis

LNG Flows Summary

2026-04-23 to 2026-05-14
Latest LNG Flow 16.60 BCF/D
Daily Change +0.20 (+1.2%)
30-Day Average
17.68
BCF/D
30-Day High
18.80
BCF/D
30-Day Low
16.40
BCF/D
Data Points
22
Days

LNG Flows Trend (Click to zoom)

LNG Flows Chart
×

LNG Flows Analysis

Zoomed Chart

Recent LNG Flows Data

Date LNG Flow (BCF/D) Change from Previous
2026-05-04 17.30 N/A
2026-05-06 17.00 -0.30
2026-05-07 17.10 +0.10
2026-05-08 17.20 +0.10
2026-05-09 17.10 -0.10
2026-05-10 17.10 +0.00
2026-05-11 17.00 -0.10
2026-05-12 16.80 -0.20
2026-05-13 16.40 -0.40
2026-05-14 16.60 +0.20

News & Sentiment Analysis

Market Sentiment Overview

BULLISH
Average Polarity: 0.333
Confidence: 1.0
Articles Analyzed: 114
Last Updated: 2026-05-15 23:47:30

Commodity Sentiment

CRUDE_OIL

0.6

HEATING_OIL

0.0

NATURAL_GAS

0.4

Fibonacci Levels Analysis

Current Price: $2.96
Closest Support: $2.87 3.04% below current price
Closest Resistance: $2.99 1.01% above current price

Fibonacci Retracement Levels

0.0 $2.48
0.236 $2.72
0.382 $2.87 Support
0.5 $2.99 Resistance
0.618 $3.11
0.786 $3.28
1.0 $3.49

Fibonacci Extension Levels

1.272 $3.77
1.618 $4.12
2.0 $4.5
2.618 $5.13

ML Price Prediction

Current Price: $2.89
Forecast Generated: 2026-05-15 23:47:31
Next Trading Day: UP 0.15%
Date Prediction Lower Bound Upper Bound
2026-05-15 $2.9 $2.77 $3.03
2026-05-16 $2.89 $2.76 $3.02
2026-05-17 $2.9 $2.76 $3.03
2026-05-18 $2.89 $2.76 $3.02
2026-05-19 $2.89 $2.76 $3.02

ML Insights

  • Forecast generated using ARIMA(5, 1, 0).
  • The model predicts a price increase of ~0.15% for the next trading day (2026-05-15), reaching $2.90.
  • The 5-day forecast suggests relatively stable prices between 2026-05-15 and 2026-05-19.
  • The average confidence interval width is ~9.1% of the predicted price, indicating model uncertainty.
  • SIGNAL: Bullish signal, moderate uncertainty.

AI Analysis

💹

For Energy Traders:

Current market indicators suggest a moderately bearish sentiment with a score of -2/5. The Fibonacci support level is at 2.87 and resistance is at 2.99. Traders should be cautious as the fundamental balance is at 7.58 BCFD with a notable increase of +5.90, indicating a potential oversupply in the market. The ML price forecast suggests a slight upward movement of UP (0.15%) within the range of 2.77 to 3.03, presenting short-term trading opportunities but also increased volatility risks.

For Producers (Oil & Gas Companies):

The current market sentiment is bullish overall, particularly for natural gas with a sentiment score of +0.600. However, the fundamental balance indicates a significant increase in supply, which may necessitate adjustments in production planning. Producers should consider hedging strategies to mitigate risks associated with fluctuating prices and potential oversupply. The weather outlook suggests low heating demand, particularly in residential and commercial sectors, which may influence demand for natural gas in the short term.

🏭

For Consumers (Industrial/Utilities):

Consumers should prepare for potential cost fluctuations as the market shows signs of increased supply. The weather outlook indicates low heating demand, which could lead to lower prices in the short term. However, the fundamental balance at 7.58 BCFD suggests that supply reliability might be at risk if demand unexpectedly increases. It may be prudent to consider procurement strategies that account for these potential shifts in supply and pricing.

📊

For Commodity Professionals (Analysts, Consultants):

The energy market is currently influenced by a bullish overall sentiment, particularly in natural gas. However, the moderately bearish technical indicators and increasing fundamental balance suggest a complex market environment. The weather outlook indicates low heating demand, which could further impact pricing dynamics. Analysts should monitor these trends closely, as they may signal a shift in market conditions and necessitate adjustments in forecasts and strategies.

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