Local distribution zone (LDZ) gas demand in Western Europe for February 22-28 is forecast to fall by 2.9% on the week, marking the first decrease in four weeks, provisional data from Eclipse Energy, an analytics unit of Platts, showed Friday.
Demand across the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium is forecast to total 5.55 Bcm in week 8, down from an expected 5.72 Bcm in week 7, as milder temperatures curb gas-fired heating.
It has risen weekly since week 3 -- January 25-31 -- which totaled 4.67 Bcm.
All of the five countries are expected to see their respective LDZ demand levels fall, and largely maintain their percentage share of the total.
Germany is forecast to see the biggest drop, trimming 79.99 million cu m to see a total burn of 2.01 Bcm for the week.
The Netherlands is expected to fall by 31.63 million cu m to 600.07 million cu m, the UK by 16.17 million cu m to 1.62 Bcm, France by 21.69 million cu m to 1.05 Bcm and Belgium by 15.26 million cu m to 277.56 million cu m, Eclipse showed.
Eclipse's short-term demand model is calculated from the latest demand, temperature and wind speed outturns in addition to deviations between forecasts and these last outturns.
