** Shares of U.S. natural gas companies gain, tracking a rise in natgas futures NGA/
** U.S. natgas futures NGc1 up 2.8% at $4.97 per million British thermal unit, putting the contract on track for its highest close since December 27, 2022
** Natgas prices rise to a 35-month high on record flows to liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants and forecasts for colder weather and higher demand over the next two weeks than previously expected
** Shares of natgas companies: EQT Corp EQT.N rises 1%, NextDecade NEXT.O adds 2.7% and New Fortress Energy NFE.O gains 2.4%
** CNX Resources CNX.N, Energy Transfer ET.N and Williams Companies WMB.N each up marginally
** ETFs rise: United States Natural Gas Fund UNG.P up 3% and ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Natural Gas BOIL.P gains 6.1%
(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru)
((Pooja.Menon@thomsonreuters.com))