Natural gas is used for power, heating and industrial processes. This chart tracks a perpetual contract referencing natural gas, not physical delivery or a dated futures contract. Weather, storage, supply and funding payments matter.
History and development
NYMEX natural-gas futures began on April 3, 1990. The U.S. Energy Information Administration described a need for a clear, widely available reference price. Delivery at Louisiana's Henry Hub anchored a major U.S. gas benchmark.
Gas pricing depends on location, pipelines, storage and seasonal heating or power demand. Henry Hub, European TTF and LNG delivered to Japan are different markets. This chart shows a natural-gas perpetual, not physical Henry Hub delivery, a specific monthly future or a universal global gas price.
References: CME: first trade dates · EIA: natural gas futures
Comparing charts on this board
Pair natural gas with oil to distinguish energy-wide moves from gas-specific ones. Isolated reactions direct attention to weather, storage, production and transport.
Follow the chart around scheduled storage releases, connecting reported inventories with price reactions. This is a reference contract, so keep regional physical supply conditions and contract pricing distinct.
Related charts: WTI Oil Perp · S&P 500
Official references: EIA: natural-gas statistics