Natural Gas Week articles from October 2003

Natural Gas Week archives from October 2003

No recount.(Late News ...)
October 6, 2003... No recount. Florida Power and Light (FPL) will keep natural gas its primary fuel source to generate power regardless of final provisions of energy bill. Spokesman Bill Swank said state's options for fuel to generate power are limited and...

Temporary reprieve.(Late News ...)
October 6, 2003... Temporary reprieve. Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) orders shut-in of only 95 MMcf/d of potential 240 MMcf/d in province's Athabasca oil sands region--about 0.5% of total Canadian natural gas production--following petitions for...

Average cash prices & futures strip.(Late News ...)
October 6, 2003... A Canadian cold front spurred early heating demand and boosted gas prices in the Midwest and at the Midcontinent wellhead, but shoulder-month conditions prevailed elsewhere. [GRAPHICS OMITTED]

GOP might amend energy bill; force FERC into price reporting.
October 6, 2003... House Republicans are seeking to add language to the pending energy bill requiring federal regulators to collect and report transaction data on natural gas and electricity trading despite the reluctance of the regulators to take on the task....

LNG deliveries are not deterred by lower US natural gas prices.
October 6, 2003... US natural gas prices may have backed off from their winter-spring peaks, but the still strong prices are attracting a steady flow of liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries. In fact, LNG tankers are sailing into Southern Union's Trunkline...

Strong winter strip prices help prop up seemingly loose market.
October 6, 2003... Weather forecasts for mid-October have turned bearish, which should allow the recent torrid injection pace into storage--after an interruption from chilly eastern temperatures last week--to continue. Any weather-related weakness in spot...

Tripped up by partisan politics, energy bill vote gets delayed.
October 6, 2003... Buffeted by criticism from Democrats and struggling with differences within their own party over electricity and tax incentives, Senate and House Republican leaders have abandoned their Oct. 3 deadline for completion of a broad energy bill. ...

Wyckoff wins market-based rates.
October 6, 2003... The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last week approved a new natural gas storage facility that will be able to charge market-based rates to shippers. National Fuel Gas Supply's Wyckoff Gas Storage facility will be a...

Reliant settles with FERC; CFTC sues AEP over California crisis.
October 6, 2003... Reliant Energy bit the bullet last week and settled its outstanding allegations from the California electricity crisis while American Electric Power faces a $336 million lawsuit by federal commodity regulators on allegations that it submitted...

Court agrees: local governments have weight on drilling decisions.
October 6, 2003... Can the substitution of a single adjective make the difference in substantiating a local county's authority on oil and gas exploration? According to the majority decision of a three-judge appeals court panel in Colorado and those who stand to...

Major market prices.
October 6, 2003... This Weekly Bid Week Week Change for Oct. Chicago City Gate 4.67 +0.08 4.61 New York City Gate 4.90 +0.01 4.90 Houston Ship Channel 4.40 *...

Task force: remove barriers to gas drilling on public land.
October 6, 2003... The US government must remove bureaucratic barriers to developing domestic natural gas supplies on federal lands as liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports will take too long to come online in order to prevent gas-dependent industries from leaving...

Spot prices on intrastate pipeline systems.
October 6, 2003... Spot Prices on Intrastate Pipeline Systems Delivered-to-Pipeline ($/Mmbtu) October 6, 2003 This Weekly Bid Week Pipeline Week Change for Oct. ...

Magnum Hunter hikes capital spending in gulf of Mexico.
October 6, 2003... Magnum Hunter Resources raised its capital spending budget for 2003 by more than 40% to $165 million to take advantage of high oil and gas prices and low service costs. Almost all of the increase will occur in the Gulf of Mexico where the...

2003 gas price outlook.
October 6, 2003... 2003 Gas Price Outlook October 6, 2003/Week 40 12-Month Strip Wellhead Delivered-to-Pipeline Nymex $5.30 $5.37 $4.872 NOTES: (1) Prices are in...

Syntroleum, marathon GTL plant culmination of agee's dreams.
October 6, 2003... For two decades Kenneth Agee has been trying to develop a natural gas-to-liquids business. Full attainment of his goal is still a good way off, but last week the effort took a measurable step forward. Syntroleum, the Tulsa-based company...

Composite spot wellhead price.
October 6, 2003... Composite Spot Wellhead P rice January 1991 to present ($/MMBtu) Jan. Feb. March April May June July 2003 5.15 6.91 7.14 4.94 5.48 5.63 4.87 2002 2.14 2.11 2.74 3.16 3.24 3.01...

Composite spot delivered-to-pipeline price.
October 6, 2003... Composite Spot Delivered-to-Pipeline Price January 1991 to present ($/MMBtu) Jan. Feb. March April May June July 2003 5.40 7.10 7.25 5.07 5.53 5.69 4.92 2002 2.28 2.23 2.87 3.28 3.33...

Fuel cells making inroads but need steady funds, advocates say.
October 6, 2003... Fuel cells have continued to make inroads in the US energy landscape but mainstreaming into the market will take a lot of investment, research, and development from both the public and private sector, advocates said. "Fuel cells are...

North American weekly gas storage.
October 6, 2003... North American Weekly Gas Storage (Billion Cubic Feet) Sep.26 Sep. 19 Weekly Year Yr. Ago Region Week Week Change Ago Difference US East 1667.0...

Prices and differentials for major hubs and selected city gates.
October 6, 2003... October 6, 2003 US$/MMBtu NOTES: (1) Sumas, Wash.; Kingsgate, B.C.; Emerson, Manitoba; and Niagara Falls, Ontario, are reported as major import points from Canada. (2) City Gate represents the cost of gas at the point at which the...

Applications test laws to build new nukes.(Current)
October 6, 2003... Two major-league nuclear producers finally made it to first base in the regulatory process that defines what a company must do to develop new nuclear reactors at existing nuclear power plants. Nuclear regulations passed in the early 1990s...

Xcel considers clean coal in Colorado.
October 6, 2003... High, volatile natural gas prices could cost Xcel Energy and its Colorado consumers too much money if the utility only adds natural gas-fueled generation to meet the state's growing power demand, making clean-coal generation an option worth...

PG&E delays plant transfers to banks.(Currents)
October 6, 2003... PG&E's bankrupt National Energy Group (NEG) unit postponed the transfer of six power plants to the banks, which financed their construction and operation, until December. NEG was to turn over four plants last Tuesday to a group of lenders led...

Comparative fuel prices.
October 6, 2003... Comparative Fuel Prices (Cash Market) October 6, 2003 EAST COAST Natural Gas Natural Gas New York Harbor: Texas...

Exelon buy could shake up ISO.(Current)
October 6, 2003... Exelon's move to purchase lqlinois Power may complicate other utilities' plans to join regional grid groups, industry officials say. The Chicago-based company is in talks to buy Illinois Power for an undisclosed amount. Dynegy had already...

Natural gas futures and spot electricity trading.
October 6, 2003... Natural Gas Futures and Spot Electricity Trading Trading Dates: Sep. 29- Oct. 3, 2003 New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) (Henry Hub) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday ...

Utility to pay $8.5 million settlement.(Current)
October 6, 2003... Portland General Electric wants to pay $8.5 million to settle allegations that it helped parent company Enron manipulate electricity markets during the California energy crisis. The proposed settlement with the Federal Energy Regulatory...

AEP says it will fight grid split.(Current)
October 6, 2003... American Electric Power (AEP) vowed to go to court to fight any attempt by federal regulators to split its giant transmission grid that also stretches across seven eastern US states. At issue is AEP's choice to join the PJM Interconnection...

Southern fires up Orlando plant.(Current)
October 6, 2003... Southern began commercial operation of its 630-MW Stanton A natural gas-fired power plant near Orlando, Florida. Southern's share of electricity from the plant will be purchased by its partners the Orlando Utilities Commission, Florida...

Cash market hub trading.
October 6, 2003... Cash Market Hub Trading ($/MMBtu) Henry Hub, La. Current month: Oct. 6:$4.49 Bid-Week for Oct.: $4.43 Jan. Feb. March April May June July August 2003 5.30 7.35...

Natural gas rig count.
October 6, 2003... Natural Gas Rig Count Oct. 3: 1,091/932/85.4% Jan. Feb. March April May June July 2003 Total 854 907 941 983 1034 1067 1081 Gas 718 750 767 795 864 910 924...

Duke sells vector pipeline to enbridge, DTE Energy for $72.5M.(Regional Market Roundup)
October 6, 2003... Duke Energy sold its 30% interest in the Vector Pipeline to Enbridge and DTE Energy, reaping total proceeds of $145 million. Duke acquired its interest in the 1 Bcf/d, 348-mile, Chicago-to-Dawn line through its 2002 acquisition of Westcoast...

Louisiana.(Regional Market Roundup)
October 6, 2003... EnCana Gas Storage plans to build a new high-deliverability gas storage facility about 25 miles west of Lake Charles, Louisiana--dubbed the Starks project--with an initial storage capacity of 8 Bcf and a withdrawal rate of approximately 400...

Spot prices on interstate pipeline systems--part 1.
October 6, 2003... Spot Prices on Interstate Pipeline Systems--Part 1 Delivered-to-Pipeline ($/MMBtu) October 6, 2003 This Weekly Pipeline Week Change ANR...

North Carolina.(Regional Market Roundup)
October 6, 2003... Piedmont Natural Gas has acquired North Carolina Natural Gas (NCNG), a natural gas distribution company, from Progress Energy for $425 million in cash, plus $32.4 million in working capital. NCNG serves about 180,000 residential, commercial,...

Canada.(Regional Market Roundup)
October 6, 2003... Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NP) reached an agreement with its customers and other stakeholders on Canadian tolls. The settlement gives M&NP customers certainty with respect to tells for transporting natural gas on the Canadian part of the...

Georgia.(Regional Market Roundup)
October 6, 2003... Mirant has reached a $332,411 settlement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over allegations that the bankrupt energy trader violated regulations during the 2000-01 California energy crisis. Mirant settled to avoid...

Spot Prices on Interstate Pipline Systems--Part 2.
October 6, 2003... Spot Prices on Interstate Pipline Systems--Part 2 Delivered-to-Pipeline ($/MMBtu) October 6, 2003 This Weekly Bid Week Pipeline Week Change for...

Reserves rise at White Rose but gas production is questionable.
October 6, 2003... Canada's Husky Energy said two delineation wells drilled at its White Rose field, offshore Newfoundland, have resulted in an increase in its estimate of the field's oil and gas reserves. The higher reserve numbers will improve the returns...

Canadian price report.
October 6, 2003... Canadian Price Report ($U.S. per MMBtu/$can per Gigajoule) --BRITISH COLUMBIA-- Huntingdon/ Kingsgate/ Total Sumas Eastport ...

City gate prices.
October 6, 2003... City Gate Prices October 6, 2003 ($/MMBtu) Bid Week Bid Week City for Oct. for Sep. Austin, Texas Valero Transmission Co. 4.32 4.77 ...

Gas price trends.
October 6, 2003... Gas Price Trends ($/MMBtu) ROCKY NEW CALIFORNIA MTNS MEXICO South North October 6, 2003 Inter (well) -- -- 4.03 4.00 Intra...

NGSA predicts a bumpy ride for gas consumers this winter.
October 6, 2003... Natural gas consumers should brace for a second straight winter of high costs and potentially heavy price volatility, the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA)warned. Although it does not project actual gas costs, NGSA, which represents...

Gas price report.
October 6, 2003... Gas Price Report ($/MMBtu--Spot) October 6, 2003 Interstate Intrastate Delivered Wellhead Wellhead To Pipeline Bid Bid ...

Cheyenne expansion.(Late News ...)
October 13, 2003... Kinder Morgan began construction on $30 million Cheyenne Market Center service following FERC approval Thursday. Project includes pipeline, compression, and storage facilities that will allow for receipt, storage, and subsequent redelivery of...

Changing ranks.(Late News ...)
October 13, 2003... Hal Kvisle, president and chief executive of TransCanada PipeLines, was elected chairman of Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) for 2004. He succeeds Fred Fowler, Duke Energy's president and chief operating officer. Other...

Unexpected interruption.(Late News ...)
October 13, 2003... Primary upgrading coker at Syncrude oil sands facility in northern Alberta was taken down for unscheduled maintenance early Friday. Unit was experiencing operational problems, and complete turn-around, which will take about 30 days, was...

Average cash prices & futures strip.(Late News ...)
October 13, 2003... Technical short-covering sent Nymex gas futures soaring nearly $1/MMBtu last week, though cash lagged far behind amid mild national weather. [GRAPHICS omitted]

INGAA looks to add muscle to LNG lobbying in Washington.
October 13, 2003... The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) is working to set up a committee to lobby for the interests of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) members, Natural Gas Week has learned, a first step to fill what many in the LNG industry...

Technical short-covering, crude surge drive gas futures higher.
October 13, 2003... Fundamentals don't always dictate the direction of prices, as last week's gas market activity amply demonstrated. Weather was warm, spot trading soft and storage injections remain strong, yet traders sent winter gas futures soaring nearly $1...

Talk of Bill's delay looks more like plan to pressure lawmakers.
October 13, 2003... In an indication of the stubborn differences still confronting Senate and House Republican leaders on the pending energy bill, a senior Senate staffer said last week that the bill's completion could be pushed back until sometime in January or...

LNG deliveries are not deterred by lower US natural gas prices.
October 13, 2003... Third-quarter liquefied natural gas (LNG) import volumes tripled over the same period last year, as the opening of Dominion Resources' terminal at Cove Point, Maryland, and newly installed vaporization capacity at Tractebel LNG's Everett,...

EIA downplays spike concerns, but winter bills to be higher.
October 13, 2003... The government is downplaying concerns of price spikes this winter in wholesale natural gas markets--assuming weather is not abnormally cold--but consumers can expect bills 5% higher than last year, to an average $841. Gas storage is "well...

Outsiders boost El Paso drilling.
October 13, 2003... El Paso announced late last week that it entered into agreements with Lehman Brothers and Nabors Industries that should result in some $350 million of new drilling activity over the next nine to 12 months. Under the agreements, Lehman will...

Nuclear outages appear normal: Davis-Besse restart in limbo.
October 13, 2003... With the summer peak-load season now ever, several US nuclear plants are either ready for or are already experiencing shutdowns for refueling. But there appears to be nothing unusual about the current wave of outages that would seriously impact...

Exxon Mobil's appeal rejected.
October 13, 2003... The US Supreme Court last week rejected an appeal brought by Exxon Mobil that asked the high court to re-examine the role of federal regulators over the gathering and transportation pipelines on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the Gulf of...

Nymex president eager to delve into data dissemination work.
October 13, 2003... The New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) says it is prepared to collect and disseminate data on electric power and natural gas trades, according to Nymex President Robert Collins. While in Houston last week, Collins told reporters the...

Major market prices.
October 13, 2003... MAJOR MARKET PRICES October 13, 2003 ($/MMBtu) This Weekly Bid Week Week Change for Oct. Chicago City Gate 4.87 +0.20 4.61 New York City Gate 5.10 +0.20 ...

Anderson's return to Duke means likely corporate shakeup coming.
October 13, 2003... Shareholders, employees, customers, and stakeholders of integrated electric utility and gas pipeline Duke Energy can anticipate some eventful months following the return of Paul M. Anderson to the North Carolina-based company as chairman and...

Spot prices on intrastate pipeline systems.
October 13, 2003... SPOT PRICES ON INTRASTATE PIPELINE SYSTEMS Delivered-to-Pipeline ($/MMtu) October 13, 2003 This Weekly Bid Week Pipeline Week Change for Oct. ...

Industrial consumers say energy bill won't help ease their pain.
October 13, 2003... Industrial natural gas customers, already nervous about the coming winter heating season's effect on the cost of the fuel they heavily consume, are not particularly excited about the proposed energy bill pending in Congress. The Industrial...

TransCanada, Gaz Metropolitain consider Quebec LNG terminal.
October 13, 2003... Twenty years after the natural gas industry abandoned efforts to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal on Canada's St. Lawrence River, several potential sponsors again are looking at a site near the small community of Gross...

2003 gas price outlook.
October 13, 2003... 2003 GAS PRICE OUTLOOK October 13, 2003/Week 41 12-Month Strip Wellhead Delivered-to-Pipeline Nymex $5.44 $5.50 $5.388 NOTES: (1) Prices are in...

North American weekly gas storage.
October 13, 2003... NORTH AMERICAN WEEKLY GAS STORAGE (Billion Cubic Feet) Oct. 3 Sep.26 Weekly Year Region Week Week Change Ago US East 1710.0 1603.0 107.0...

Prices and differentials for major hubs and selected city gates.
October 13, 2003... PRICES AND DIFFERENTIALS FOR MAJOR HUBS AND SELECTED CITY GATES October 13, 2003 US$/MMBtu Sumas, Wash. $4.24 AECO-C Hub $4.25 Kingsgate, B.C. $4.35 Malin, Ore. $4.46 Opal, Wyo. ...

Deep drilling in shallow gulf proves profitable.(E & P Update)
October 13, 2003... Drilling for natural gas in deeper zones in the shallow-water Gulf of Mexico has so far been a profitable business for deep shelf players like El Paso and Remington Oil and Gas. While drilling below 15,000 feet on the Gulf shelf has yielded...

Renewables use grows among some oil giants.(Current)
October 13, 2003... In another example of energy markets trying to tango, Canadian off and gas independent Talisman Energy is beginning to build a test project for one of the largest planned offshore wind projects. A Scottish mandate to generate 40% of the...

FERC approves NRG transfer to creditors.(Current)
October 13, 2003... FERC has given Xcel Energy approval to transfer its bankrupt NRG Energy unit to creditors. NRG filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy last May after amassing $9.2 billion in debt from a decade of aggressive expansion into unregulated power generation and...

Comparative fuel prices.
October 13, 2003... COMPARATIVE FUEL PRICES (Cash Market) October 13, 2003 APPALACHIA Appalachian Pool Dlvd (Util) Ohio/Big Sandy River Coal $35.75/ton $5.03/MMBtu $1.49/MMBtu ...

ERCOT: bottlenecks cost $238 million.(Current)
October 13, 2003... Bottlenecks in Texas' power lines cost companies and consumers $238 million in extra electricity in the past year, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). About $212 million of these costs were due to constraints in...

Sierra Pacific seeks to stop Enron.(Current)
October 13, 2003... Sierra Pacific Resources asked energy regulators to stop Enron from forcing it to pay $336 million for power that the bankrupt energy trader never delivered. In the lingering aftermath of California's 2000-01 energy crisis, Las Vegas-based...

Natural gas futures and spot electricity trading.
October 13, 2003... NATURAL GAS FUTURES AND SPOT ELECTRICITY TRADING Trading Dates: Oct. 6-Oct. 10, 2003 New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) (Henry Hub) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Last/Volume...

SDG&E rolls out long-term plan.
October 13, 2003... San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has rolled out its long-term resource plan, a $600 mi]lion plan that provides for the purchase of local generation assets, including new power plants, renewable resources, and demand response. Under the...

Oregon County could kick out Enron.
October 13, 2003... Voters in Multnomah County, Oregon, will soon vote on whether or not they want their electricity service to continue to come from bankrupt Enron or a public utility. Voters will receive ballots by mail in about two weeks that--while not...

Cash market hub trading.
October 13, 2003... CASH MARKET HUB TRADING ($/MMBtu) Henry Hub, La. Current month: Oct. 13:$4.74 Oct. 6:$4.49 Jan Feb. March April May June July 2003 5.30 7.35 8.06 5.27 5.78 5.84 5.04 2002 2.29 2.26...

Natural Gas rig count.
October 13, 2003... NATURAL GAS RIG COUNT Oct. 10: 1,109/950/85.7% Oct. 3: 1,091/932/85.4% Jan. Feb. March April May June July 2003 Total 854 907 941 983 1034 1067 1081 Gas 718 750 767 ...

Ultra Petroleum to test 20-acre well spacing in Wyoming pilot.(Regional Market Roundup)
October 13, 2003... Houston-based Ultra Petroleum received approval from the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission for a pilot program to test whether 20-acre well spacing will boost overall gas recovery rates in the Pinedale Anticline area. Under the pilot...

El Paso's Cheyenne Plains.(Wyoming/Kansas)
October 13, 2003... The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said El Paso's Cheyenne Plains pipeline would have a limited adverse impact on the environment in its draft environmental impact statement (EIS). FERC will hold meetings on the EIS in Colorado and...

Angus Energy.(Texas)
October 13, 2003... Dallas-based independent Angus Energy has acquired a large acreage position in the Barnett Shale natural gas play in central Texas. Angus has acquired exclusive drilling rights and operating interests in the Stanton Powell Ranch and surrounding...

Spot prices on interstate pipeline system--Part 1.
October 13, 2003... SPOT PRICES ON INTERSTATE PIPELINE SYSTEMS--PART 1 Delivered-to-Pipeline ($/MMBtu) October 13, 2003 This Weekly Bid Week Bid Week 2002 Sep Pipeline Week Change for Oct....

San Jose, California-based Calpine has taken another step toward acquiring "mature natural gas and oil properties" in Alberta, Canada.(Alberta)
October 13, 2003... San Jose, California-based Calpine has taken another step toward acquiring "mature natural gas and oil properties" in Alberta, Canada. The company priced the initial public offering of its newly established Canadian Calpine Natural Gas Trust...

Tri-Valley.(California)
October 13, 2003... Bakersfield, California-based Tri-Valley believes that its Oil Creek Prospect near Coalinga, California, may shape up to be a major gas play. The company has logged 235 feet of hydrocarbon pay in the first, second, and third Panoche Sands down...

Spot prices on interstate pipeline systems--Part 2.
October 13, 2003... SPOT PRICES ON INTERSTATE PIPELINE SYSTEMS--PART 2 Delivered-to-Pipeline ($W1Btu) October 13.2003 This Weekly Bid Week Bid Week 2002 Sep Pipeline Week Change for Oct. for Sep Avg....