據今日油價網站5月17日消息 美國基準天然氣價格周一跳漲逾5%，因發電商預計將燃燒更多天然氣，以維持美國東部下半部剛剛開始上線的空調正常運行。

　　截至美國東部時間周一下午3:34，亨利中心的天然氣價格上漲4.96%，至3.108美元/每百萬英熱單位。開盤時，價格為2.961美元/每百萬英熱單位。

　　紐約商品交易所6月合約較之前結算價上漲0.154美元，為3.115美元/每百萬英熱單位。

　　天然氣價格出現了自德克薩斯州早些時候寒流以來的最大百分比日漲幅，當時天然氣價格漲幅超過5%。

　　漲價的主要原因是美國下半部夏季降溫需求季節開始，預計本周晚些時候到下周天氣會更熱。

　　據Bespoke氣象服務公司的數據，該公司15日的天氣預報中，有7日處于較高溫天氣，比5月中旬的正常天氣還要熱好幾天。

　　但這些升溫的天氣預計只會持續幾天，這可能意味著目前的價格上漲有點夸張。

　　EIA的每周天然氣儲存報告上周顯示，截至5月7日的一周結束時，儲存的工作氣體為20290億立方英尺，比前一周凈增710億立方英尺。

　　這低于五年（2016-2020年）21010億立方英尺的平均水平。

　　根據EIA數據，截至5月7日的一周結束時，美國天然氣庫存為3780億立方英尺，比去年同期減少120億立方英尺。

　　王磊 摘譯自 今日油價

　　原文如下：

　　Natural Gas Prices Jump On Warmer Weather

　　The U.S. benchmark natural gas price jumped more than 5% on Monday as power generators are expected to burn more gas to keep air conditioners going that are just now starting to come online in the lower half of the Eastern United States.

　　As of 3:34 p.m. ET on Monday, the price of natural gas at Henry Hub was up by 4.96 percent at $3.108/ MMBtu. At the start of trading, the price was at $2.961/ MMBtu.

　　The June Nymex contract was up $.154 from the prior settlement at $3.115/ MMBtu.

　　Natural gas prices saw their biggest daily percentage gain since the Texas Freeze earlier in the day when prices rose more than 5%.

　　The price hike is largely attributed to the beginnings of summer cooling demand season in the lower half of the United States, with warmer weather expected to arrive later this week and into next week.

　　According to Bespoke Weather Services, there was enough heat to add 7 gas-weighted degree days to its 15-day forecast, with “several days of hotter-than-normal mid-May weather.”

　　But those warmer temps are only expected to last a couple of days—this could mean the current price rises are a bit exaggerated.

　　The EIA’s weekly natural gas storage report showed last week that working gas in storage was 2,029 billion cubic feet (Bcf) at the end of the week to May 7. This represents a net increase of 71 Bcf from the previous week.

　　That’s below the five-year (2016-2020) average of 2,101 Bcf.

　　As per the EIA data, natural gas stocks in the United States at the end of the week to May 7 were 378 Bcf less than last year at this time and 12 Bcf.