Best

In an effort to achieve the best shareholder return among oil majors from 2000 to 2004, Chevron Chairman Ken Derr and Chairman-elect Dave O’Reilly told security analysts last week the company plans to increase worldwide oil and gas production at an annual growth rate of 4 to 4.5%.

In an effort to achieve the best shareholder return among oilmajors from 2000 to 2004, Chevron Chairman Ken Derr andChairman-elect Dave O’Reilly told security analysts yesterday thecompany plans to increase worldwide oil and gas production at anannual growth rate of 4 to 4.5%.

In response to customer requests, Transco has enhanced the LEADreports available in TRANSIT to show best available allocated databased upon a one-day lag for all shippers rather than a two-day lagas has been shown in the past.

Not even the best financial quarter since the fourth quarter of1997 could prevent BP Amoco from following through with itsjob-cutting plan as the company said it will cut 2,000 morepredominantly US jobs before the year is over. The integratedenergy giant has already slashed 12,500 jobs from the pay roll. Itwould not elaborate on which US jobs would be eliminated.

PG&E Gas Transmission-Northwest reported completing hydrotesting of its A-Line ahead of schedule. The project’s end restoredcapacity to best-efforts levels of 2,620 MMcf/d at Kingsgate and1,930 MMcf/d at Station 14 Friday.

Given the “slim to non-existent gross margins” for marketers,retail gas unbundling at the state level has been a “minimalsuccess” at best so far, according to the results of a study ofmore than 100 LDCs released earlier this week.

Thursdays have been a bearish trader’s best friend lately withthree of the last four featuring follow-through selling on theheels of some hefty storage refill estimates. However, yesterdaydid not follow true to form, as traders digested alarger-than-expected 92 Bcf American Gas Association storage refillestimate then managed to push July up 2.5 cents to settle at$2.071. In doing so, several traders remarked, July exhibitedJune-like characteristics marked by narrow trading ranges amidrelatively low volume. June looked to expire without much fussearlier in the week, then the bottom dropped out on the last day.It “looks as if that was more a case of people liquidatingpositions then anything,” a trader reasoned.