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NATURALGAS

278.40

8.80 (3.26%)

as on 14 Sep 2026 at 09:35 PM

MCX

Upcoming Expiry25 Sep

Days For Expiry12

NATURALGAS

278.40

8.80 (3.26%) profit

as on 14 Sep 2026 at 09:35 PM

MCX

Options Open Interest Top Contracts Futures 15-Mins Built Up

Live Chart

NATURALGAS Futures Snapshot

Monthly Contracts	Days for Expiry	LTP	Change	Change %	Volume	Open Interest	OI Change %
NATURALGAS SEP FUT	12	278.40	8.80	3.26	85,830	43,567	-21.64
NATURALGAS OCT FUT	44	293.50	8.20	2.87	12,091	12,864	-11.15
NATURALGAS NOV FUT	72	336.80	3.70	1.11	1,456	2,698	-1.35

Inventory Data for 10th Sept 2026, Thursday

Time	Country	Announcement	Actual	Previous	Consensus	Forecast

View All

About NATURALGAS Futures

Natural gas powers power plants, factories, and city kitchens. It is cleaner than coal and cheaper than oil for many uses. Global prices move on weather forecasts, storage reports, and production shifts. India imports LNG under long-term contracts and spot purchases. Domestic prices are linked to international benchmarks.

MCX NATURALGAS is a 1,250-MMBtu contract. It references NYMEX natural gas front month prices. Trading runs Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 11:30 PM, extending to 11:55 PM during US daylight saving time. The price is quoted in rupees per MMBtu.

For traders, this means US weather reports and EIA storage data move the NATURALGAS futures price within the same session. You can trade these energy cycles without handling physical molecules.

Factors influencing NATURALGAS futures prices

The NATURGAS futures price on a particular trading day is influenced by a number of factors.

US weather forecasts: Winter heating requirements are high. During the summer season, cooling demand increases. NYMEX prices are directly impacted by NOAA temperature forecasts for the US Northeast and Midwest. This goes into the relaying of MCX NATURGAS futures live.

EIA weekly storage reports: The US Energy Information Administration publishes storage data every Thursday. A build above expectations pressures prices, whereas a draw below expectations supports them. Markets react within minutes.

US production and rig counts: The amount of shale gas produced is tied to the number of wells that have been drilled. Increased rig counts are an indicator of future supply growth. Production freeze notification or pipeline restrictions squeeze supplies, thus driving up prices.

LNG export flows: US LNG terminals export gas to Europe and Asia. Given the strength of export demand, domestic availability is squeezed and pushes NYMEX prices. The opposite is true, with exports being the engines of growth if they are weak.

USD/INR exchange rate: The NYMEX benchmark is in the dollar. While NYMEX is flat, a weaker rupee is raising the chances of a stronger futures price for MCX NATURGAS today. Domestic gains are capped off by a strengthening rupee.

Global energy substitution: The gas demand in power generation is influenced by the price changes of coal and oil. When coal is expensive, utilities switch to gas. This cross-commodity linkage impacts the direction of longer-term prices.

Hurricane season disruptions: Atlantic storms can shut down Gulf of Mexico production and LNG export terminals. Risk premiums constitute futures price increases due to storm tracks and intensity forecasts.

European energy crisis spillover: Europe is heavily dependent on LNG imports in lieu of Russian pipeline supplies. Supply shortages or price spikes in European markets increase competition for US LNG cargoes. This takes supply away from the domestic US market and helps bolster NYMEX prices that enter MCX NATURALGAS futures today.

How are NATURALGAS futures prices determined?

The MCX price links directly to the NYMEX benchmark and the USD/INR rate.

The Due Date Rate (DDR) is the settlement price on expiry. It equals the NYMEX Natural Gas front month contract settlement price on the last trading day, converted using the last available RBI USD/INR reference rate. The result is rounded to the nearest tick.

For example, if NYMEX settles at $2.260 per MMBtu and the RBI rate is 66.1105, the DDR is approximately ₹149.40 per MMBtu.

The contract is cash-settled. There is no physical delivery. Between spot and futures, the gap reflects financing cost, storage expectations, and market sentiment. When futures trade above spot, the market is in contango. When below, it is in backwardation.

Key metrics to consider while trading NATURALGAS futures

These numbers define how the contract behaves, so review them before trading.

Lot size: One standard contract represents 1,250 MMBtu.
Tick size: Minimum price movement is 10 paise per MMBtu. Each tick changes the contract value by ₹125.
Quotation: Prices are quoted in rupees per MMBtu.
Expiry: Contracts expire as per the MCX Contract Launch Calendar. The maximum contract duration is 6 months.
Trading hours: Standard trading hours run Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 11:30 PM. During periods of US daylight saving time, the closing time shifts to 11:55 PM.
Daily Price Limit (DPL): The initial circuit breaker sits at 4%. If breached, the limit widens to 6% without a cooling-off period. If 6% is breached, a 15-minute pause follows before expanding to 9%.
Initial margin: Minimum 10% or SPAN-based, whichever is higher. Extreme loss margin applies on top.
Open Interest (OI): Total outstanding contracts across all participants. Rising OI with rising price indicates fresh long positions. Rising OI with falling price indicates fresh shorting.
Position limits: Individual clients can hold up to 60,00,000 MMBtu or 5% of market-wide OI, whichever is higher, for all Natural Gas contracts combined. Members can hold 6,00,00,000 MMBtu or 20% of market-wide OI.
Maximum order size: 60,000 MMBtu per order.

How to read NATURALGAS futures data?

The NATURALGAS futures page provides unique layers for your reading.

NATURALGAS futures live: This indicates the top contract that is currently active for trading. This is where transactions are happening this minute.

NATURALGAS futures today: This data includes open, high, low, and last traded price. The difference between high and low shows intraday volatility.

NATURALGAS futures chart: Historical price action looks at several different timeframes. There are two kinds of time frames at Dhan: Custom Timeframes and India Timeframes. Coordinate the daily trends with intraday signals before investing money.

Volume: The number of contracts traded matters a lot during the session. A price action that occurs on high volume has a greater impact than the same price action on thin volume.

OI: This tells you how much capital sits in open positions. If price rises and OI rises, the trend has backing. If price rises and OI falls, the move may be short-covering.

Bid-ask spread: This is the gap between the best buy and sell prices. A narrow spread means the contract is liquid. A wide spread signals lower activity.

Benefits of trading NATURALGAS futures

This contract benefits in certain ways over physical gas or smaller contracts.

Active role in worldwide energy cycles: You're impacted by the weather, storage and production fluctuations in the United States. You can trade these macro drivers without sourcing or even shipping physical gas with futures.
Leverage through margin: You put up just a portion of the contract amount as margin. This releases funds, but at the same time increases losses if positions are not handled correctly.
Cash settlement: No physical delivery obligations at expiry. The contract closes at the DDR, which is based on the NYMEX price of the contract.
Transparent, regulated infrastructure: The MCX is regulated by SEBI. Prices are public. Strict rules are in place for settlement. Risk from the counterparty is reduced via the clearing corporation.

Most commonly used strategies in NATURALGAS futures

Traders use a few standard setups; match one to your view.

Directional trade: Buy if you expect natural gas prices to rise. Sell if you expect them to fall. This is the simplest approach. Position size relative to margin is critical.
Calendar spread: Buy one expiry month. Sell another. Profit depends on the spread between months, not the absolute price. Lower margin. Lower volatility than outright positions.
Event-driven trade: Take positions ahead of EIA storage reports, NOAA weather outlooks, or hurricane forecasts. These trades require precise timing and awareness of implied volatility expansion before the event.
Weather-driven seasonal trade: Winter heating demand and summer cooling demand create predictable seasonal patterns. Traders position ahead of these cycles based on temperature forecasts and storage levels.

How to trade NATURALGAS futures on Dhan?

Open your account: Create a commodity trading account on Dhan and complete full KYC. Ensure the MCX commodity futures segment is activated separately from your equity account.
Add funds: Transfer money to your trading account. Maintain sufficient margin for the initial position and for daily mark-to-market settlements throughout the trade life. Dhan displays margin requirements clearly before order placement.
Pick your contract: Choose your preferred expiry month. Near-month contracts typically offer the most liquidity. Each lot represents 1,250 MMBtu.
Read the market data: Analyse the NATURALGAS futures live price, chart, open interest, and volume before entering. Track NYMEX closes, EIA storage reports, and US weather forecasts. Review live contract details directly on the instrument page under MCX commodities.
Place your trade: Execute using the appropriate order type. Market orders fill at the prevailing price. Limit orders execute only at your specified price. The maximum order size is 60,000 MMBtu.
Track your position: Monitor NATURALGAS price movements, OI shifts, and MTM adjustments actively. EIA releases and weather updates can drive sharp intraday moves.
Adjust when needed: Set a stop-loss at entry and revisit it as the trade develops. Modify or exit based on price behaviour around key levels and your original strategy.
Know the contract type: NATURALGAS futures follow daily MTM settlement. Profits and losses are credited or debited at the end of each trading day. The contract is cash-settled upon expiry with no physical delivery.

Tips for trading NATURALGAS futures effectively

These practices help you manage risk and read the market more clearly.

Track EIA storage reports every Thursday: The weekly storage levels build or draw provide the near-term guidance. Compare the actual number to consensus estimates. Things can change in minutes if there are surprises.
Take USD/INR into account in addition to NYMEX: The prices at the MCX keep going up through a depreciating rupee, even if the NYMEX price remains unchanged. Domestic gains are capped by a strengthening of the rupee and a rise at NYMEX. Manage both sides.
Follow temperature predictions from NOAA: Degree days for heating and cooling directly impact the demand. The so-called extended cold snap or extreme heat can drive price action through multiple sessions.
Account for daily MTM and margin calls: Forests are cleared every evening, and profits and losses are settled at the MCX. Natural gas can surprise EIA or be affected by weather events. Trade sizes that can prevent getting a margin call. Size based on the minimum margin.
Use multiple timeframe charts: The general trend that can be seen on the daily NATURALGAS futures chart may not match the hourly chart. Dhan's Custom and India timeframes enable you to sync both time frames prior to trading.
Use the Dhan Trade Plan for position sizing: Trade Plan is a built-in tool on Dhan Charts. Input your capital allocation percentage, risk percentage, and reward percentage. It automatically calculates your exact quantity, stop-loss level, and target price.
Monitor hurricane season risks: Atlantic storms can disrupt Gulf production and exports from June through November. Track storm development during these months.
Size positions within capital limits: The ability to take a large position with a small margin is not a reason to do so. Keep single-trade risk within a defined percentage of your total capital. Use the Trade Plan to enforce this discipline.

FAQs

What is 1 lot size of NATURALGAS futures?

1 lot of NATURALGAS Futures on MCX is 1250.

What is the trading time for NATURALGAS futures?

The trading time of NATURALGAS futures is:

April to October - 9:00 AM to 11:30 PM
November to March - 9:00 AM to 11:55 PM

When is the upcoming NATURALGAS futures expiry?

The upcoming futures expiry of NATURALGAS on 25 Sep 2026.

Are NATURALGAS futures settled in cash or via physical delivery?

At the end of the day, all the positions are auto squared off. Meaning, the derivatives are settled in cash. At present, the physical delivery of Commodity position is not allowed.