據油價網5月20日報道，由于預期美國的氣溫將很快降溫，美國天然氣價格周五下午下跌。

天然氣期貨跌至8.076美元/百萬英熱單位 (-2.79%)，因為全球預報系統預測下周大平原和美國東部將出現較冷天氣，下周西部山區和東海岸也將迎來較冷天氣。

今天的天然氣價格仍然是去年這個時候的兩倍多，是年初水平的兩倍，是十多年來的最高水平。

天然氣的供需平衡預計將在夏季剩余時間內保持緊張，盡管美國的產量高于去年同期。 

其他因素還包括，出口的增加推高了價格，還有美國部分地區將面臨低于同期均溫的預期。推動天然氣價格超過8美元的因素還有天然氣庫存比去年同期下降了20%。

預計今天的天然氣價格下跌將是短暫的，然而，EIA預測，今年夏天6月至8月期間，輸送到發電機的天然氣平均價格將接近9美元/百萬英熱單位。

黎泱 編譯自 油價網

原文如下：

U.S. Natural Gas Prices Fall As Colder Weather Approaches

U.S. natural gas prices fell on Friday afternoon on the expectation that temperatures in the United States are set to cool off soon.

Natural gas futures fell to $8.076/MMBtu (-2.79%) as the Global Forecast System predicted that cold weather was in store next week for the Great Plains and the Eastern United States, and the week following in the Mountain West and East Coast.

Today’s natural gas prices are still more than double what they were this time last year, double the levels that it started the year with, and the highest in over a decade.

The supply and demand balance for natural gas is expected to remain tight for the remainder of the summer, although U.S. production is more than it was this time last year. 

Those higher exports have helped to push prices higher, combined with unseasonably warm temperatures in parts of the United States, adding to the call for cooling. Adding to the list of things pushing natural gas prices above the $8 market are nat gas inventories which are 20% below where they were this time last year.

The dip in today’s natural gas prices is expected to be short-lived, however, with the EIA forecasting that natural gas delivered to electric generators will average almost $9 MMBtu this summer between June and August.