2012

The increased role of global players and the use of long-term contracts may bring more stability to North America’s natural gas market and offer a chance for a balanced market before the end of the decade, according to consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

By 2025 natural gas is expected to overtake coal as the second most used fuel worldwide and North America will have transitioned to become a net energy exporter, while by 2040 global energy demand will have increased by almost 35% from 2010 levels, according to ExxonMobil Corp.’s Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040, which was released last week.

The increased role of global players and the use of long-term contracts may bring more stability to North America’s natural gas market and offer a chance for a balanced market before the end of the decade, according to consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

By 2025 natural gas is expected to overtake coal as the second most used fuel worldwide and North America will have transitioned to become a net energy exporter, while by 2040 global energy demand will have increased by almost 35% from 2010 levels, according to ExxonMobil Corp.’s Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040, which was released Tuesday.

The University of Texas at Austin has pulled a 2012 UT Energy Institute report that was supportive of hydraulic fracturing and shale gas development following a review of the study by an independent panel that found researchers failed to disclose a conflict of interest.

Exporting liquefied domestic natural gas to world markets would generate a net benefit to the U.S. economy, and the more liquefied natural gas (LNG) that’s exported, the greater the benefit, according to a macroeconomic analysis of the impact of LNG exports commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and released for public comment Wednesday.

With the right regulations and a “common market” among Canada, Mexico and the United States, North America could become the 21st century version of the Middle East for hydrocarbons, a panel of experts from the three nations said last week at a Manhattan Institute forum.

With electricity generation becoming ever more dependent on natural gas, coordination between the two markets will continue to be a top priority and a series of other issues need to be resolved, according to panelists at the recent Energy Bar Association (EBA) Mid-Year conference in Washington, DC.

Industry is split over FERC’s proposed optional notice procedures that would enable intrastate and Hinshaw natural gas pipelines to obtain quick approval of filings on rates and operating conditions without an agency order.