** Shares of U.S. natural gas companies rise, tracking an increase in natgas futures NGA

** U.S. natgas futures NGc1 up 5% at $4.11 per million British thermal units

** Natgas prices rise as the amount of gas flowing to liquefied natural gas export plants increased, including the likely return of a liquefaction train at Freeport LNG in Texas

** Natgas companies: CNX Resources CNX.N up 1.7%, Expand Energy EXE.O up 2.3%

** Natgas ETFs: United States Natural Gas Fund UNG.P rises 11% and ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Natural Gas BOIL.P advances 22.5%

(Reporting by Dharna Bafna)

((Dharna.bafna@thomsonreuters.com))