Alberta's Gathering Gas Storm

摘要

Canadian natural gas producers had a rude awakening earlier this month when prices at Alberta's Aeco trading hub crashed to C$1.66 (US$1.61) per million Btu. That left them more than $2 below US prices on the Nymex, which were trading at over $3.70/ MMBtu, a spread that was more than four times the historical average. The last time Western Canadian gas prices were so low was spring 2012, but at least then (he whole North American market was in the tank. The US Nymex price fell to a 10-year low of $1.90/MMBtu on Apr. 19, 2012. Canadian prices bottomed on Apr. 2 at US$ 1.40/MMBtu, according to sister publication Natural Gas Week (NGW Apr.23' 12). The spread between US and Canadian prices then was in keeping with the traditional difference between the Nymex and Aeco price of about 500/MMBtu