UK natural gas jumps toward 170 pence/therm on Middle East uncertainty

UK natural gas prices rose toward 170 pence per therm on Friday, extending gains from the previous session and moving back toward their highest level since January 2023, as supply risks remain amid uncertainty over a Middle East peace deal.

Prices jumped on Thursday after reports that President Trump was not interested in returning to the terms of a June deal with Iran.

This reversed losses from earlier this week, which were driven by progress in talks between Pakistan and Iran to end the conflict and an agreement between Tehran and Oman on control and revenues tied to the Strait of Hormuz.

The near-closure of the Strait has continued to disrupt LNG supplies from Qatar, while extreme summer heat-driven cooling demand diverted supplies from storage.

These factors have left Europe scrambling to secure supplies, heightening fears that the region could enter the winter heating season with insufficient reserves.

For the week, European gas prices climbed 4%, their third straight weekly gain.