GAS/RUB Technicals: 07-03-2018

 | Jul 03, 2018 09:16AM ET

h2 US Cold Snap May Reduce Natural Gas Demand

In this review, we suggest considering the personal composite instrument (PCI) “Gas vs the Russian ruble.” It reflects the price dynamics of the US natural gas against the Russian ruble. Will GAS/RUB prices fall?

Such a movement means that the US natural gas prices fall, while the ruble strengthens. The meteorological forecast of a cold snap in the US in the next 2 weeks is an important prerequisite for the reduction of gas prices. Earlier, there was a strong heat, which increased the demand for electricity for air conditioning. Natural gas is widely used for electricity generation and its consumption has also increased. Its production in the US has now updated the historical high and reached 81.5 billion cubic feet per day on Friday. Over the past week, 73 billion cubic feet of gas has been pumped into US gas storage facilities. This is noticeably more than the same week last year - 60 billion cubic feet, and also more than the 5-year average level at the end of June - 70 billion. High world prices for hydrocarbon raw materials may contribute to the strengthening of the Russian ruble. The share of energy products in Russian exports is 65%.