UK GAS-Prices edge higher as export pipeline resumes operation

LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - British wholesale gas prices mostly rose on Thursday as the return from maintenance of a major export pipeline tightened domestic fuel supplies.

* The only contract to post a loss was within-day gas , down 0.30 pence to 54.85 pence/therm at 0925 GMT

* The price fall reflects a gas market oversupply of 10.3 million cubic metres/day (mcm/day), with demand at 165 mcm/day and supply at 175.3 mcm/day, National Grid (LSE: NG.L - news) data showed

* Day-ahead gas rose by 0.50 pence to 55.25 pence per therm

* The Interconnector UK gas pipeline returned from a two-week maintenance on Thursday with flows to Belgium expected to hit 34 mcm, potentially draining supplies from the UK market

* UK Continental Shelf production improved with supply from Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) 's Elgin-Franklin set to increase throughout the day along with flows into the Barrow North, St Fergus and Dimlington terminals, analysts at Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) said

* Gas supply from Norway to Britain rose by 3 mcm/day to 48 mcm/day

* Average daily temperatures in Britain are seen at about 18.4 degrees Celsius on Thursday, and are expected to rise to 18.7 C on Friday, Thomson Reuters Eikon data showed

* Britain was not expecting any liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel to arrive

* The July contract was up 0.24 pence at 54.50 pence/therm

* Day-ahead gas at the Dutch TTF hub fell by 0.10 euro to 22.05 euros per megawatt-hour

* The benchmark Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) -18 EU carbon contract was up 0.06 euros at 15.32 euros a tonne (Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic; editing by Jason Neely)