Break

U.S. imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first quarter rose 65% over the year-earlier period, putting the country on track to break a two-year slump in imported LNG volumes, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

U.S. imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first quarter rose 65% over the year-earlier period, putting the country on track to break a two-year slump in imported LNG volumes, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Making a small break with the energy crisis shackles resulting from the 2000-2001 wholesale energy market meltdown, California regulators last Thursday agreed to examine the feasibility of resuming direct-access retail deals in the electricity sector. The five-member California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted a petition from pro-retail choice group Alliance for Retail Energy Markets (AREM).

Repelled from last week’s attempts to break through the $8 resistance area, June natural gas futures on Monday worked lower for a change, trading within a slim 13-cent range before settling at $7.779, down 15.9 cents from Friday’s close.

Only a little more than a quarter through 2007, importers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are poised to break the industry’s two-year slump of declining volumes arriving at U.S. terminals as LNG imports and regasified LNG sendout volumes are spiking.

Only a little more than a quarter through 2007, importers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are poised to break the industry’s two-year slump of declining volumes arriving at U.S. terminals as LNG imports and regasified LNG sendout volumes are spiking.

The cash market continued its break from the pattern of mixed pricing that prevailed every day last week. The direction of price movement was uniform at all points again Tuesday, but this time it was down instead of up. Moderating weather trends in the Midwest, to be duplicated to a lesser extent over the rest of the week in the Northeast, combined with the pre-existing scarcity of heating load in the South to ease overall spot gas demand.

Several points in the Gulf Coast and Appalachia continued to move higher Thursday, but for the most part the cash market was in retreat as glimmers of a break in the frigid weather that has kept much of the U.S. and Canada in its icy grasp this week surfaced on the horizon.

The early-week bear market that resulted primarily from forecasts of a midweek break from harsh winter weather in some areas proved to be short-lived, at least in eastern markets. Prices rebounded from about a nickel to nearly 30 cents Wednesday at most points in the East as arctic air masses were predicted to bring sub-zero wind chills to the Midwest and Plains states Thursday and continue on into the Northeast and much of the South.