European and British wholesale gas prices rose on Tuesday as colder weather increased demand and the market remained nervous about winter supplies from Russia.
* The British within-day gas contract was up 8.75 pence at 2.22 pounds per therm by 1136 GMT, with the day-ahead contract up 14.50 pence at 2.24 pounds per therm.
* The Dutch day-ahead gas contract rose 4.15 euros at 88.50 euros per megawatt hour.
* Colder weather in northwest Europe is boosting heating demand, while a combination of low French nuclear availability and weak wind output might leave more room for natural gas plants to generate, an analyst said.
* Pipeline flows from Norway and Russia were little changed, he added.
* The benchmark Dutch front-month contract was up 4.00 euros at 89.00 euros per megawatt hour.
* The British December contract also gained 13.83 pence to 2.25 pounds/therm.
* Traders said there was nothing specific lifting prices, which had dropped for three consecutive days.
* "Things are still tight, so I would have been surprised if (prices) would have continued falling," one trader said.
* The potential release of crude oil in 30 days from US strategic reserves and the looming spectre of tightening COVID-19 restrictions as case numbers continue to rise could inject volatility into the market, Refinitiv analyst Wayne Bryan said in a morning report.
* News of fresh U.S. sanctions on a vessel involved in completing the contentious Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany could "incentivise the bulls", he added.
* Other said the sanction should have little impact as they would not change the pipeline project, which is completed but awaiting certification, which was facing delays.
* In other markets, the European benchmark December 2021 EUA contract CFI2Zc1 traded down 0.09 euros at 69.82 euros per tonne. It hit an all-time high of 71.24 euros/tonne in early trade.
(Reporting by Nora Buli in Oslo, Editing by Susanna Twidale)
