Natural Gas Market Note | 05.19.2026
Prompt-month natural gas higher for the fifth straight day.
Natural gas continued its rebound on Tuesday, with the June 2026 NYMEX contract extending its upward push for the fifth consecutive day, rising by about 9 cents to finish at $3.11 per MMBtu. That contract has added $0.27 per MMBtu over the past week, while the Balance-of-Summer 2026 strip has increased by $0.23 during the same stretch. With increases extending across the curve, although to a lesser degree than in summer contracts, deliveries through 2028 are all sitting above week-ago levels.
The recent heat wave is peaking in the eastern U.S. today, with more seasonable weather expected for the remainder of the week. However, the past two days could offer a preview of how strong power generation demand for natural gas might be during the peak summer months. Estimates of consumption from this sector show demand nearing 40 Bcf per day so far this week, which is the earliest point in the cooling season on record that this threshold has been approached.
An archive of Daily Natural Gas Market Notes can be found here.