Addition

FERC has granted Northwest Pipeline Corp. and Duke Energy Trading Marketing LLC’s (DETM) requests for waivers of the pipeline’s tariff that would allow DETM to carry out the permanent transfer of its transportation capacity in its Northwestern Regional Book to an unidentified prearranged replacement shipper.

By coming in larger than most estimates and shattering the five-year average build, the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) estimated natural gas storage injection for the week ended Oct. 1 was an undeniably bearish 81 Bcf. But natural gas futures treated the report as a mere hiccup in Thursday morning trade.

In addition to the sale of some of Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line’s gas transportation assets in Texas to Crosstex earlier this week (see related story), Williams also has agreed to sell three straddle plants in Western Canada to Inter Pipeline Fund of Calgary for C$715 million (US$540 million).

In addition to a high-linepack OFO for Friday’s Evening Cycle nominations, Southern California Gas declared an additional OFO for the Timely Cycle on Saturday.

It was easy to be a natural gas futures bull Tuesday. In addition to another round of frigid forecasts and spiking prices in the cash market, natural gas futures traders had added buying incentive as crude oil prices spiked following a deadly explosion at an Algerian gas liquefaction plant Monday.

In addition to moving around some of its executives and appointing a few new ones (see related brief), Richmond, VA-based Dominion also has separated two operating functions overseen by its Dominion Energy operating unit. Under the new organizational structure, the former Dominion Energy operating unit is divided into two separate business segments — Dominion Generation and Dominion Energy. Dominion Generation will manage the company’s portfolio of more than 24,000 MW of generation. Dominion Energy will manage the company’s electric transmission, marketing and natural gas pipeline and storage businesses. This change was effective Jan. 1. “We’re seeking to place our top talent and energy in positions where they can maximize their contribution to shareholder value. As a matter of ongoing policy, we also seek to streamline our organizational structure. The personnel and organizational changes announced today advance these goals,” CEO Thos. E. Capps said.

Fort Worth-based producer Quicksilver Resources Inc. has hired Diane Weaver to direct investor relations. In addition, Weaver’s duties will include oversight of the company’s media relations and community relations activities. She replaces John Gremillion, who has retired. Weaver, who is a certified and licensed public accountant in the State of Texas, has more than 20 years of oil and gas financial, risk management, tax and regulatory experience. She spent 19 years with Union Pacific Resources Group (UPR) prior to its 2000 merger with Anadarko Petroleum Corp. At UPR, Weaver served as manager of regulatory affairs and senior assistant corporate secretary. Recently she was a senior financial reporting accountant for producer XTO Energy, also based in Fort Worth.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) were quite busy during the first year of the President’s Corporate Fraud Task Force, according to a White House fact sheet.

Getting a tremendous boost from the addition of nearly 900 MMcf/d in takeaway capacity, Rockies gas led an overall moderately strong beginning of the April aftermarket with jumps of more than a dollar in most cases Wednesday. San Juan-Blanco numbers also saw sizeable upticks of more than 60 cents, while non-Rockies points ranged from about a nickel to a quarter over end-of-April levels.