美國天然氣價格在今年上半年大幅下跌了34%，亨利中心的天然氣價格在6月份跌至2.18美元/百萬英熱單位

歷史新高的產量、高庫存和相對溫和的冬季共同拖累了天然氣價格下跌

據EIA預計，到今年12月，亨利中心的天然氣價格將上漲至均價2.83美元/百萬英熱單位

據油價網2023年7月24日報道，受歷史新高的產量、高庫存和相對溫和的冬季氣溫的拖累，今年上半年美國天然氣價格大幅下跌了34%。

根據EIA周一援引Refinitiv Eikon發布的數據，1月至6月，美國天然氣價格基準亨利中心的月平均現貨天然氣價格大幅下跌了34%，即下跌了1.12美元/百萬英熱單位，至2.18美元/百萬英熱單位。

EIA表示，經通脹調整后，今年的亨利中心天然氣價格是自2020年6月以來的最低月度平均價格，并指出天然氣價格在1月份達到平均3.30美元/百萬英熱單位后，在2月份開始下滑。

周一早些時候，亨利中心天然氣月度價格小幅上漲0.18%，至2.716美元/百萬英熱單位。

今年1月至6月，由于美國部分地區氣溫較低，對空間供暖的需求減少，導致天然氣消費量下降。

今年1月1日至4月30日期間，美國天然氣消費量平均為每天1030億立方英尺。根據EIA的天然氣市場的月度概述，與去年同期相比，這一數字平均每天下降10億立方英尺。住宅和商業部門的消費量下降幅度最大，今年1月和2月的總消費量同比下降18%和12%。今年第一季度與去年第一季度相比工業天然氣消費量也下降了3%。

然而，由于西方冬季供暖需求增加，電力部門消耗的天然氣比其他任何部門都多，在今年1月至3月期間，電力部門平均每天消耗307.8億立方英尺天然氣，同比增長8.4%。

EIA表示，由于今年迄今為止天然氣產量超過需求，美國天然氣價格面臨下行壓力。

李峻 譯自 油價網

原文如下：

U.S. Natural Gas Prices Fell 34% In The First Half Of 2023

·     U.S. natural gas prices fell by 34% in the first half of 2023, with Henry Hub falling to $2.18 per MMBtu in June.

·     A combination of record production, high inventories, and a relatively mild winter was responsible for dragging prices lower.

·     The EIA expects Henry Hub prices to rise through December 2023, averaging $2.83 per MMBtu through the end of 2023.

U.S. natural gas prices slumped by 34% in the first half of this year, dragged down by record production, high inventories, and relatively mild winter temperatures.

The average monthly spot natural gas price at the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub dipped by 34%, or by $1.12 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), to $2.18 per MMBtu between January and June, per data from Refinitiv Eikon cited by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Monday.

Adjusted for inflation, this year has seen the lowest average monthly Henry Hub price since June 2020, the administration said, noting that prices started slumping in February after averaging $3.30 per MMBtu in January.

Early on Monday, the monthly Henry Hub price was slightly up by 0.18% at $2.716 per MMBtu.

Reduced demand for space heating amid milder temperatures in some parts of the U.S. led to lower natural gas consumption between January and June 2023.

Total U.S. natural gas consumption averaged 103.0 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) between January 1 and April 30, 2023. This was down by 1.0 Bcf/d compared to the same period in 2022, according to EIA’s Natural Gas Monthly overview. The residential and commercial sectors led the decline, with combined consumption down 18% year-on-year in January and 12% in February 2023. Industrial natural gas consumption also dropped, by 3% in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the first quarter of 2022.

However, the electric power sector, which consumes more natural gas than any other sector, used a record-high average of 30.78 Bcf/d between January and March 2023, up by 8.4% year over year, due to increased winter heating demand in the West.

Prices have come under downward pressure as natural gas production has exceeded demand so far this year, the EIA said.