By Scott DiSavino

June 27 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% on Friday as the amount of gas flowing to liquefied natural gas $(LNG)$ export plants started to edge up after weeks as more plants exit spring maintenance reductions.

On their first day as the front-month, gas futures for August delivery NGc1 on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) rose 10.5 cents, or 3.0%, from where the August contract closed on Thursday to $3.631 per million British thermal units (mmBtu) at 9:06 a.m. EDT (1306 GMT).

That put the front-month up about 12% from where the July contract closed on Thursday when it was still the front-month. On Thursday, the front-month closed at its lowest since May 28 for a second day in a row.

Even though meteorologists forecast the weather will remain hotter than normal for at least the next two weeks, those temperatures were not expected to return to the highs seen earlier this week.

In fact, some analysts have started to say the market may have already seen its highest price for the summer when it hit $4.15 per mmBtu on June 20 in anticipation of this week's heat.

Futures for September 2025 started trading at a premium over August 2025 NGQ25-U25 for the first time ever three days ago as the market bets supplies will be lower, demand will be higher and/or the surplus of gas in storage above normal levels will be lower (or even in a deficit) in September.

After adding more gas into storage than usual for 10 weeks in a row, analysts projected energy firms likely injected less gas than usual into inventories this week as power generators burned lots of the fuel to produce electricity to keep air conditioners humming during a brutal heat wave. EIA/GAS NGAS/POLL

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states rose to 105.6 billion cubic feet per day so far in June, up from 105.2 bcfd in May, but still below the monthly record high of 106.3 bcfd in March due primarily to normal spring pipeline maintenance earlier in the month.

Meteorologists forecast weather across the Lower 48 states will remain mostly warmer than normal through at least July 12.

With more summer heat still to come, LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, would rise from 103.9 bcfd this week to 106.0 bcfd next week and the week after. The forecasts for this week and next week were similar to LSEG's outlook on Thursday.

The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big U.S. LNG export plants fell to 14.2 bcfd so far in June, down from 15.0 bcfd in May and a monthly record high of 16.0 bcfd in April. The feedgas average for June, however, was up a bit from where it was earlier in the month as units at some LNG plants returned from maintenance reductions.

The U.S. became the world's biggest LNG supplier in 2023, surpassing Australia and Qatar, as surging global prices fed demand for more exports, due in part to supply disruptions and sanctions linked to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Gas was trading at a four-week low of around $11 per mmBtu at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) TRNLTTFMc1 benchmark in Europe and a two-week low of around $13 at the Japan Korea Marker $(JMM)$ JKMc1 benchmark in Asia. NG/EU

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino)

((scott.disavino@thomsonreuters.com; +1 332 219 1922; Reuters Messaging: scott.disavino.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

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For graphics on Baker Hughes rig counts, see: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/rigcount/index.html

For next-day SNL U.S. gas prices, see: 0#SNL-NG

For next-day SNL U.S. power prices, see: 0#SNL-PWR

For U.S. natgas price and storage polls, see: NGAS/POLL

For U.S. nuclear power outages, see: NUKE/

For U.S. Northwest hydro power report, see: NWRFC

For U.S./Canada natural gas rig count vs Henry Hub futures price, see: http://tmsnrt.rs/2eT9k44

For the U.S. natural gas speed guide, see: USGAS

For the U.S. power speed guide, see: USPOWER

To determine CFTC managed money net position add (NYMEX Henry Hub options and futures combined 3023651MNET) plus (ICE Henry Hub options and futures combined 3023391MNET divided by four) plus (NYMEX Henry Hub swaps options and futures combined 303565BMNET divided by four) plus (NYMEX Henry Hub penultimate gas swaps 303565CMNET divided by four)

NYMEX Henry Hub options and futures combined 0#3CFTC023651

NYMEX Henry Hub futures only 0#1CFTC023651

ICE Henry Hub options and futures combined 0#3CFTC023391

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NYMEX Henry Hub Penultimate gas swaps 0#3CFTC03565C