Latest News

US power manufacturers binge on ultra-cheap gas: Kemp

U.S. electrical energy generators consumed a record quantity of gas in the first 4 months of the year as rates dropped to the lowest level in real terms for over half a century.

Ultra-low rates encouraged more power production from some of the least-efficient single-cycle gas and steam turbines at the expense of coal.

However record combustion by generators made little impact on inflamed gas inventories in the middle of continued development in gas production and sluggish exports.

Chartbook: U.S. gas-fired electrical power generation

Generators produced a record 1,334 billion kilowatt-hours ( kWh) in between January and April, according to the current information from the U.S. Energy Info Administration.

Generation was up by 47 billion kWh (4%) compared to the very same period a year previously and by about the very same compared with the previous 10-year average.

Two-thirds of the additional output originated from gas-fired units (30. billion kWh) with most of the rest from solar farms (13 billion. kWh).

As an outcome, generators improved their gas intake by 213. billion cubic feet (6%) compared to a year earlier to a record. 3,941 bcf.

BLOATED STOCKS

Regardless of record power burn, gas stocks remained abnormally. high, with stocks 671 bcf (+36% or +1.46 requirement. discrepancies) above the prior 10-year seasonal average at the end. of April.

The surplus had swelled from 261 bcf (+14% or +0.58 requirement. deviations) a year previously thanks to a mild winter in. 2023/24.

By April, the real expense of gas received by electricity. generators had plunged to approximately simply $2.05 per million. British thermal units.

After adjusting for inflation, power generators' gas. acquisition costs had been up to the most affordable level on record in. information going back to 1973.

INCREASING RUNS

Remarkably cheap fuel motivated gas-fired generators to. run their units for more hours, including the least-efficient,. most fuel-hungry plants that typically run primarily during the. summer and winter peak periods.

Single-cycle gas turbines and gas-fuelled steam generators. are much less efficient than combined-cycle systems and normally. run just in peak periods of electrical power need.

With fuel so low-cost, nevertheless, gas turbines operated with a. record seasonal capacity aspect of more than 14% in April 2024. up from 12% in April 2023 and 10% in April 2022.

Gas-fired steam turbines created more than 15% of their. maximum theoretical output, up from 13% in 2023 and 10% in 2022,. and the highest for more than a decade.

CONSISTENT SURPLUS

Tape gas-fired generation has helped avoid surplus. inventories swelling even further but has actually not yet decreased. puffed up stocks to more normal levels.

Recurrent problems with the operation of the Freeport LNG. export terminal have actually likewise postponed the normalisation of stocks.

Gas generation spiked to an all-time record early in July. 2024, owing to high temperatures across much of the Lower 48. states, sluggish wind speeds, and the effect of low gas rates. themselves.

Nevertheless, inventories were still the second-highest on record. for the time of year on July 19 and 479 bcf (+17% or +1.35. standard variances) above the previous ten-year seasonal average.

After bouncing a little in May and June, futures rates have. dropped in July towards the trough previously this year, returning. close to multi-decade lows in real terms.

Such extremely low prices are sending the strongest. possible signal to gas producers on the requirement to cut drilling and. output even further after an initial round of cuts announced in. February.

They are also sending a signal to generators to use their. systems to the grid as much as possible, with gas generation. records most likely to be smashed this summertime.

Costs will remain lower for longer until the inventories. begin to converge with the long-term seasonal average, many. likely by the end of winter 2024/25.

Related columns:

- U.S. oil output development slows, gas production begins to. fall (July 2, 2024)

- U.S. gas surplus will be removed before end of winter season. 2024/25 (May 8, 2024)

- Northern Hemisphere's record winter warmth slashes gas. usage( March 20, 2024)

John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst. The views revealed. are his own. Follow his commentary on X https://twitter.com/JKempEnergy.

(source: Reuters)