August natural gas futures finished near even on Thursday while winter contracts gained ground amid substantial heat in the forecast, downwardly trending production and a supportive government storage print. [Want to visualize Chicago Citygate, Henry Hub, Houston Ship Channel or any of our 170+ spot natural gas price indexes? Check out NGI's daily natural gas price snapshots now.] “Higher natural gas demand from power generators, driven by warmer temperatures across key areas and waning wind generation output, was partially offset by reduced flows to LNG export terminals and marginally higher domestic production. As second quarter earnings season kicked off this week, management of heavyweight natural gas producer EQT said the firm is raising its 2026 production guidance and planning to accelerate completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate project amid booming demand for Appalachian Basin natural gas.