Adds latest prices

By Scott DiSavino

April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures climbed about 3% on Wednesday on a drop in daily output and forecasts for more demand over the next two weeks than previously expected.

That price increase came despite forecasts for a decline in gas flows to U.S. liquefied natural gas $(LNG)$ export plants.

Gas futures NGc1 for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 10.4 cents, or 2.6%, to settle at $4.055 per million British thermal units (mmBtu).

Energy traders said mild weather and low demand last month likely allowed utilities to add gas to storage in March for the first time since 2012 and only the second time in history.

Gas stockpiles, however, were still about 5% below normal levels for this time of year after extremely cold weather in January and February forced energy firms to pull large amounts of gas out of storage, including record amounts in January. EIA/GAS NGAS/POLL

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Financial firm LSEG said average gas output in the Lower 48 U.S. states fell to 104.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) so far in April, down from a record 106.2 bcfd in March.

Meteorologists projected temperatures in the Lower 48 states would remain mostly near normal through April 17.

LSEG forecast average gas demand in the Lower 48, including exports, will rise from 103.3 bcfd this week to 105.4 bcfd next week. Those forecasts were higher than LSEG's outlook on Tuesday.

The average amount of gas flowing to the eight big operating U.S. LNG export plants fell to 14.9 bcfd so far in April, down from a record 15.8 bcfd in March.

On a daily basis, LNG feedgas fell to a preliminary three-week low of 14.6 bcfd on Wednesday, down from 15.2 bcfd on Tuesday and an average of 16.2 bcfd over the prior seven days. That compares with a record high of 16.6 bcfd on March 21.

The daily drop in LNG feedgas came as flows to Cheniere Energy's LNG.N 4.5-bcfd Sabine plant in Louisiana were on track to drop to a seven-month low of 3.8 bcfd even as Venture Global's VG.N 3.2-bcfd Plaquemines LNG plant under construction in Louisiana continues to pull in a near record 2.l bcfd of gas, according to LSEG data.

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 traded around $13 per mmBtu at both the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) TRNLTTFMc1 benchmark in Europe and the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) JKMc1 benchmark in Asia. NG/EU

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; editing by Diane Craft)

((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

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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