UK GAS-Prompt up as Britain resumes exports to Europe

LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - British prompt gas prices rose on Thursday due to surging exports after the UK Interconnector pipeline with Belgium re-opened following maintenance. * Britain was pumping 44 million cubic metres (mcm) of gas through the pipeline, following a two-week shutdown that left the UK struggling to absorb oversupply, a trader said. * Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) analysts said exports via the pipeline were just 11 mcm under maximum capacity. * Gas for instant delivery rose by 0.40 pence to 38.85 pence per therm at 0900 GMT. * Gas for weekend delivery was 0.30 pence higher at 38.00 p/therm. * Norwegian flows to Britain via the FLAGS pipeline system were reduced by 18 mcm/day following a gas leak at Norway's Gjoa field. * FLAGS flows are expected to rebound on July 1. * Britain's gas market was balanced, with forecast daily demand at 181.5 mcm/day and supplies at 181.8 mcm/day-National Grid (LSE: NG.L - news) data. * Average temperatures on Friday are expected to be 1.4 degrees Celsius above previous forecasts at around 15.5 degrees, according to weather data on Thomson Reuters. * July gas contract rose by 0.40 pence to 38.15 p/therm. * Day-ahead gas at the Dutch TTF hub edged up by 0.02 euros at 15.45 euros/MWh. * Benchmark Dec-17 EU carbon contract rose by 0.13 euros to 5.07 euros a tonne. * Thomson Reuters analyst view: http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageid=united-kingdom-gas (Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic; editing by Nina Chestney)