An Applied Study on Predicting Natural Gas Prices Using Mixed Models

Accurate natural gas price forecasting is vital for risk management, trading strategies, and policy-making in energy markets. This study proposes and evaluates four hybrid deep learning architectures—CNN-LSTM-Attention, CNN-BiLSTM-Attention, TCN-LSTM-Attention, and TCN-BiLSTM-Attention—integrating convolutional feature extraction, sequential learning, and attention mechanisms. Using Henry Hub and NYMEX datasets, the models are trained on long historical periods and tested under multi-step horizons. The results show that all hybrid models significantly outperform the traditional moving average benchmark, achieving R2 values above 95% for one-step-ahead forecasts and maintaining an accuracy of over 87% at longer horizons. CNN-BiLSTM-Attention performs best in short-term prediction due to its ability to capture bidirectional dependencies, while TCN-based models demonstrate greater robustness over extended horizons due to their effective modeling of long-range temporal structures. These findings confirm the advantages of deep learning hybrids in energy forecasting and emphasize the importance of horizon-sensitive evaluation. This study contributes methodological innovation and provides practical insights for market participants, with future directions including the integration of macroeconomic and climatic factors, exploration of advanced architectures such as Transformers, and probabilistic forecasting for uncertainty quantification.