Tim Beggans, President of Elk Trading Company, reviews the latest Goldman Sachs Exchanges discussion with Samantha Dart (Co-Head of Global Commodities Research) on the European natural gas crisis, Qatari LNG disruptions, and what it means for the U.S. market heading into winter. Key topics covered: Seasonality of natural gas demand and why winter is the critical deadline Current U.S. storage and production strength vs. Europe’s inventory shortfall Damage to Qatari LNG trains

Source: Pivotal Weather (December 1, 2025) As we turn toward the tail end of the year, the energy derivatives market is flashing clear signals of concern—and opportunity. Both December and January call-option activity on the CME Group’s energy complex show elevated volume in deep out-of-the-money (OTM) strikes, pointing to traders hedging for upside exposure amid a potential cold snap. Here’s what’s driving the shift: Recent weather-model runs from both the GFS (Global Foreca