EUROPE GAS — Contracts open lower but hold near 4 — year highs

Prices ease but remain at their highest since December 2022 Shipping attacks near Hormuz continue, hampering LNG supply Asian LNG appetite rises, forcing Europe to compete on price to fill storage OSLO, Oct 15 (Reuters) — Benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices opened lower on Thursday amid softer demand forecasts but could reverse initial losses, as geopolitical tensions, low storage levels and competition with Asia for liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply remain concerns. The benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF hub was lower by €1.49 to €85.65 per megawatt hour (MWh) by 0754 GMT, ICE data showed. The British front-month contract fell by 3.43 pence to 212.58 pence per therm. However, they remain at levels not seen since December 2022. "We again open with price falls and the question is if it will last today," analysts at Mind Energy said in their daily report. Prices also opened lower on Wednesday but ended the day flat as storage concerns and geopolitical uncertainty overshadowed bearish signals such as milder weather forecasts, they added. European gas demand looked a little softer across the next two weeks compared with the previous forecast, while the 46-day