Began

The cash price rally that began rather timidly at the start of this week continued to gain momentum Wednesday as cooler weather trends manifested themselves in the Midwest and South. Prices rose at all points despite expectations that cold spells going into the weekend would be short-lived.

Companies that missed out on the first round of leasing in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas that began in 2008 will have another chance as some of those leases will be expiring in the coming months, an industry analyst said recently.

Companies that missed out on the first round of leasing in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas that began in 2008 will have another chance as some of those leases will be expiring in the coming months, an industry analyst said recently.

The reality of seasonal autumn weather — with both heating and cooling load on the low side — began to exact a more bearish influence on the market Thursday, with most points falling by 2-3 cents to about 15 cents. Most numbers were close to flat, with other points ranging from unchanged to nearly a dime higher.

The brief midweek firming effect on gas prices from colder weather began to fade a bit Thursday as modest warming trends were in effect in such areas as the South, Northeast and Midwest. They weren’t substantial enough to generate much in the way of cooling load, but they caused the market to be mixed on small price changes both up and down from flat.

Recent cash price firmness eroded a bit further Thursday as the number of softer points began to approach equilibrium with those continuing to make slightly firmer performances. However, small gains remained dominant.

Incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) gained some ground Tuesday on Tea Party candidate Joe Miller as the state began counting thousands of absentee ballots and disputed ballots in the state’s Republican primary.

Prices rebounded, if only slightly, at most points Monday as temperatures closer to normal for those of late August began to return in most of the market areas.

A New Mexico state environmental board on Monday began a week-long series of hearings on a proposed rule to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that could carry significant impact for the state’s coal-fired electric generation plants and its sizable oil/natural gas industry. The board is looking at two approaches to addressing the limits.