Battered

TransCanada Corp. is setting up its battered Mainline for more falls by proposing to freeze tolls at current high levels through 2012, say shippers on the eastern consumer end of the natural gas conduit from Alberta to Ontario, Quebec and the United States.

Battered by seasonal early-fall weather throughout nearly all of the market, further loss of storage injection capability and the weekend decline of industrial load, the cash market fell at all locations but one Friday.

Battered by negative influences seeming to come from all directions — mostly mild to chilly (but not particularly cold) weather, weak prior-day futures, storage injection capacity growing ever tighter and any tropical storm threat to Gulf of Mexico production deemed unlikely for the rest of the season — the cash market fell at nearly all points Thursday.

Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp.’s profits were battered in the fourth quarter by sinking oil and natural gas prices. The company last Tuesday reported a net loss of $98.8 million, or a negative $2.58/share, for the fourth quarter, compared to net income of $23.8 million, or 62 cents/share, for the same period in 2007.

Rapid City, SD-based Black Hills Corp.’s profits were battered in the fourth quarter by sinking oil and natural gas prices. The company on Tuesday reported a net loss of $98.8 million, or a negative $2.58/share, for the fourth quarter, compared to net income of $23.8 million, or 62 cents/share, for the same period in 2007.

A few citygates in the Northeast, which was still feeling the effects of a “Nor’easter” storm that battered much of the East Coast over the weekend, managed to range from flat to up 20 cents Monday. They were in a distinct minority, though. Other cash points continued to move lower due to dwindling heating load and the residual impact of Friday’s 12.3-cent decline by May futures.

What remains of national independent power plant operator Calpine Corp.’s sinking ship was battered on both coasts Monday, prompting a California-based business columnist familiar with the once-high-flying Silicon Valley-based company to write its business epitaph. Calpine had no immediate reaction to the latest turn of events in the company’s continuing financial struggles; a spokesperson reiterated that no bankruptcy filing had been made yet by the company.

Financially battered Calpine Corp. ended the week squarely facing a date with destiny, but how soon the day would come was still unknown.

As the East Coast continues to be battered by sub-freezing temperatures, KeySpan revealed last week that its consumers on Monday (Jan. 26) broke an all-time gas consumption record in New York City that was set last year. Meanwhile, spot prices soared all the way up to $19/MMBtu on Tuesday for Wednesday flow at Transco Zone 6 New York and reached highs of $20 on Wednesday.