While oil keeps hitting new highs, natural gas prices are heading south. With US futures having hit a seven-year low under $3 per million British thermal units (mBtu), down almost 50% this year, the price ratio of oil to gas has reached over 26 to 1. That's the highest since gas futures began trading in 1990 and a far cry from the long-term average of around 13 to one.
Yet the odds of gas closing the gap rapidly are slim. North America is "choking on the stuff", says Lex in the FT. The recession has hit demand, especially from industry, and a rapid recovery is unlikely. According to the Energy Information Administration, US consumption will fall by 2.3% in 2009 and stay flat next year.
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