Admitted

For energy companies to win back investor confidence and be admitted to the capital markets again, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission first must finish with the California refund claims, western contract disputes, the El Paso Corp. complaint case, standard market design (SMD) and investigations into trading irregularities — and most of all, provide a climate of regulatory certainty, said energy analysts, rating agencies and capital investors last Thursday.

Going against the grain and current consensus views, Raymond James analyst Marshall Adkins and his group said Monday that they believe natural gas prices will average $5/MMBtu next year, which would be about 50% higher than average 2002 prices and substantially higher than most, if not all, other gas price forecasts by analysts, consultants and the federal government.

Banc of America analysts Tuesday admitted they had “misjudged the snowball effect of Enron’s collapse,” and dropped the ratings of 11 energy wholesalers they cover. Other analysts followed with their own downgrades, all noting that the liquidity for many of the formerly well-heeled traders was quickly evaporating.

Banc of America analysts Tuesday admitted they had “misjudged the snowball effect of Enron’s collapse,” and dropped the ratings of 11 energy wholesalers they cover. Other analysts followed with their own downgrades, all noting that the liquidity for many of the formerly well-heeled traders was quickly evaporating.

Coming off a tough month in which the company admitted that 10% of its energy trading revenues over the past three years came from “round-trip” transactions (see NGI, May 20), Reliant Resources CEO Steve Letbetter last week told the investment community that the company still expects to hit its 2002 earnings target of $1.80-2.00.

Several electricity providers that participated in the Texas pilot deregulation program last summer admitted Wednesday to the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) that they had overscheduled power in the first few weeks of the pilot, costing the state $29 million. Reliant Energy Services, TXU Electric, American Electric Power Service, Mirant Americas Energy Marketing, Constellation Power Source and another unnamed company are being investigated by PUC to see whether they should be fined for hedging — even though it apparently was allowed at the time.

“We were too optimistic,” El Paso admitted in saying that the Belen#1 turbine had gone down again after the pipeline announced Thursdayafternoon it had been repaired (see Daily GPI, March 10). San Juan Crossover capacityremained limited Friday to 630 MMcf/d, 20 MMcf/d below normal. El Pasoexpected to test the Belen turbine for a possible return to serviceSaturday. Maintenance on the Bondad Station’s 2A turbine was completedFriday.

Despite record earnings last year, Coastal Corp. CEO David A.Arledge admitted in January that 1999 would be a “challengingyear.” Coastal began to prepare for that challenge last week bystarting a corporate belt-tightening program that will include awork-force reduction.