Arena

Throwing its hat into the crowded electronic energy trading arena, Briarcliff Manor, NY-based Optionable Inc., a provider of natural gas and other energy derivatives brokerage services, announced Tuesday that it has commenced trading on its OPEX platform. OPEX is a real-time electronic trade matching and brokerage system that has been certified to connect with the Nymex ClearPort clearing platform.

As the power struggle for marketshare supremacy in the electronic energy trading platform arena continues to heat up, IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) and the New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (Nymex) reported Friday that record volumes of trading were achieved on Thursday. The increased activity across the energy complex was sparked by petroleum supply concerns due to escalating violence in the Middle East, a Nigerian crude pipeline blast and a major refinery fire in Venezuela.

As the power struggle for market-share supremacy in the electronic energy trading platform arena continues to heat up, IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) and the New York Mercantile Exchange Inc. (Nymex) reported Friday that record volumes of trading were achieved on Thursday. The increased activity across the energy complex was sparked by petroleum supply concerns due to escalating violence in the Middle East, a Nigerian crude pipeline blast and a major refinery fire in Venezuela.

With the natural gas futures arena awaiting fundamental news to push it in one direction or the other, a just released WSI Corp. temperature forecast could have bulls bellying up to the bar in the near-term. According to the Andover, MA-based weather forecasting and business solution provider, the May-July period should average above normal temperatures for a majority of the U.S., except for the East.

With the natural gas futures arena awaiting fundamental news to push it in one direction or the other, a just released WSI Corp. temperature forecast could have bulls bellying up to the bar in the near-term. According to the Andover, MA-based weather forecasting and business solution provider, the May-July period should average above normal temperatures for a majority of the U.S., except for the East.

After another wild week in the natural gas futures arena, the prompt month took a much deserved day off Friday. Trading within a 21-cent band on the session, January natural gas limped to a $6.796 settle, down 1.5 cents from Thursday.

After another wild week in the natural gas futures arena, the prompt month took a much deserved day off Friday. Trading within a 21-cent band on the session, January natural gas limped to a $6.796 settle, down 1.5 cents from Thursday.

While the generation asset sale arena may not have exactly been a buyer’s market to date, a string of recent generator bankruptcies may finally start to push prices down to the point over the next couple of quarters where companies such as Constellation Energy Group take a closer look at bidding on power plants, Mayo Shattuck, Constellation’s CEO, said last Thursday.

As it continues its efforts to exit the wholesale marketing arena, sell assets and restructure, Aquila Inc.’s CEO last week warned that the losses will continue through this year and into 2004 as the rebuilding utility repairs its damaged balance sheet.