1539 ET - Natural gas futures post back-to-back gains with the October contract settling above $3 per million British thermal units after numerous failed attempts recently. With the market in a shoulder month, moves to $3 tend to prompt a pullback, says long-time natural gas trader John Woods. "Every time you get up there you take some profit because you don't want to be long, even at $2.95 and above because you have no push after that," he says. "This pattern has been going on for a good month." Nymex gas settles up 2% at $3.023/mmBtu, its highest close since July 8.