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EUROPE GAS-EU standard contract at six-month high up on Norwegian unplanned outage

European gas costs jumped to a sixmonth high on Monday after Norway's gas exports to Europe fell sharply as a shutdown of the offshore Sleipner hub halted operations at the Nyhamna onshore processing plant.

The benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF hub rose by 2.57 euros to 37.17 euros per megawatt hour ( MWh) by 1443 GMT, its highest intraday level given that early December, while the August agreement included 2.35 euros to 37.15 euros/MWh, according to LSEG information.

In the British market, the day-ahead agreement was up 8.25 pence at 91.75 cent per therm and the July agreement rose by 7.5 pence to 90.50 p/therm.

Norwegian elections to the continent were down 14 million cubic meters each day (mcm/d) with most of interruptions expected to end on Tuesday, LSEG data revealed.

Experts at Engie's EnergyScan said that the longer the blackout lasts upward pressure on rates should be anticipated.

On the other hand, LNG prices stayed near a six-month high as hot weather in Asia is raising cooling demand and pressing Northeast Asian purchasers to focus on products for the summer season, raising concerns for tighter materials.

European gas storage centers were last seen 70.17% complete, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) data.

Torn between a comfy European spot gas balance and some danger factors - in specific on LNG supply - the market had selected for now to adopt a wait-and-see position, analysts at Engie's EnergyScan stated.

In the European carbon market, the benchmark contract rose by 1.97 euros to 76.1 euros a metric heap.

(source: Reuters)