HOUSTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - The CEO of U.S. natural gas

producer EQT Corp ( EQT ) on Wednesday said U.S. prices for the fuel

should remain below $3 per million British thermal units in the

short term.

EQT earlier this year curtailed 1 billion cubic feet per day

(bcfd) of its gas output as prices fell to multi-year lows.

Several rival producers also cut drilling to stem over

production.

Toby Rice, CEO of the largest U.S. gas producer, said at the

Gastech energy conference that he expects production

curtailments to ease by next year as demand for U.S. liquefied

natural gas exports rise.