據世界能源新聞網2023年1月31日報道，美國天然氣期貨價格周二（1月31日）持穩于21個月低點附近，有望錄得歷史第二大單月跌幅，這是因為本周極寒天氣導致天然氣產量下降，抵消了天氣變暖和下周取暖需求低于此前預期的預期。

美國天然氣價格已持續低迷數周，原因是越來越多的人相信，美國的天然氣儲備足以滿足冬季剩余時間的需求，同時人們預計，自由港液化天然氣公司位于得克薩斯州的液化天然氣出口工廠仍需數周時間才能大量進口天然氣來生產液化天然氣。

在過去一周左右的時間里，由于寒冷的天氣和冬季風暴凍結了包括得克薩斯州、俄克拉荷馬州、科羅拉多州、北達科他州和賓夕法尼亞州在內的幾個州的石油和天然氣井(在能源行業被稱為凍結)，天然氣日產量下降大約34億立方英尺，下降到958億立方英尺/天的一個月低點。

根據Refinitiv和聯邦政府公布的數據，盡管本周天氣極度寒冷，但到目前為止，美國大陸1月份的平均氣溫約為42.2華氏度(5.7攝氏度)，1月份有望成為美國自2006年以來最熱的1個月，當時平均氣溫達到創紀錄的42.8華氏度。

美國東部時間1月31日上午10時04分，3月份交貨的即月天然氣期貨價格維持在每百萬英熱單位2.674美元不變。1月30日，這個價格收于2021年4月以來的最低價格。這使得該合約處于超賣區域，相對強弱指數(RSI)連續第二天低于30，也是今年第15次。

氣象學家預測，在2月4日之前，美國大陸的大部分地區的氣溫都將低于正常水平，然后從2月5日到至少2月15日，氣溫將高于正常水平。

隨著天氣變暖，Refinitiv預測美國天然氣需求(包括出口)將從本周的1345億立方英尺/天降至下周的1288億立方英尺/天。本周的預測高于Refinitiv周一的預測，而下周的預測則較低。

李峻 編譯自 世界能源新聞網

原文如下：

U.S. Natgas Demand, Price Nosedive Continues

U.S. natural gas futures held near a 21-month low on Tuesday, keeping the contract on track for its second-biggest monthly drop in history, as a decline in output from this week's extreme cold offset forecasts for warmer weather and less heating demand next week than previously expected.

Gas prices have been depressed for weeks due to a growing belief that the country has more than enough gas in storage for the rest of the winter and expectations that Freeport LNG's liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Texas is still weeks away from pulling in big amounts of gas to produce LNG.

Output was on track to drop about 3.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) over the past week or so to a preliminary one-month low of 95.8 bcfd as cold weather and winter storms froze oil and gas wells - known as freeze-offs in the energy industry - in several states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, North Dakota and Pennsylvania.

Despite this week's extreme cold, temperatures in the U.S. Lower 48 states have averaged about 42.2 degrees Fahrenheit (5.7 Celsius) so far in January, putting this month on track to be the warmest January since 2006 when the mercury averaged a record 42.8 F, according to data from Refinitiv and the federal government.

Front-month gas futures for March delivery remained unchanged at $2.674 per million British thermal units at 10:04 a.m. EST. On Monday, the contract closed at its lowest level since April 2021.

That kept the contract in oversold territory with a relative strength index (RSI) below 30 for a second day in a row and the 15th time this year.

Meteorologists forecast temperatures across much of the lower 48 U.S. states would remain mostly colder than normal through Feb. 4 before turning warmer than normal from Feb. 5 through at least Feb. 15.

With milder weather coming, Refinitiv forecast U.S. gas demand, including exports, would drop from 134.5 bcfd this week to 128.8 bcfd next week. The forecast for this week was higher than Refinitiv's outlook on Monday, while its forecast for next week was lower.