Breathing

The global market for hydraulic fracturing (fracking) services continues to grow at a double-digit pace but not nearly as much as in 2011 since natural gas prices have begun to discourage exploration, according to a survey by Spears & Associates Inc.

If Europe develops its shale gas resources, it will likely take its sweet time about it, according to a new report from Ernst and Young Global Ltd.

With some of the regions hardest hit by severe wintry weather last week getting a breathing spell during the weekend before the next onslaught is predicted to start early this week — and a long holiday weekend contributing its extra interruption of industrial load — prices fell at nearly all points Friday. The previous day’s 10.4-cent increase by March futures apparently had little impact on the cash market.

With some of the regions hardest hit by severe wintry weather last week getting a breathing spell during the weekend before the next onslaught is predicted to start early this week — and a long holiday weekend contributing its extra interruption of industrial load — prices fell at nearly all points Friday. The previous day’s 10.4-cent increase by March futures apparently had little impact on the cash market.

Breathing fresh life into the possibility of new coal-fired power plant development, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu late last week pledged that $2.4 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to expand and accelerate commercial deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave regulated energy companies in the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast region a little breathing room by extending any deadlines to Sept. 30 for companies affected by the hurricane who are participating in proceedings at the Commission and need an extension. FERC also is allowing companies to delay until Sept. 30 compliance with certain standards of conduct regulations, particularly reporting on each emergency that resulted in a deviation from the standards of conduct. Regulations usually require reporting of such incidents within 24 hours.

Williams announced an agreement to make semiannual interest payments on $1.4 billion of Williams Communications (WCG) debt and place the debt on its balance sheet this year. The deal removes the conditions under which Williams could have been obligated to come up with the entire $1.4 billion.

Executives with NiSource Inc. can start breathing easier now as it appears that their company’s hard-fought and much-delayed merger with Columbia Energy Group last November (see NGI, Nov. 6, 2000) is beginning to show its benefits. CEO Gary L. Neale told shareholders at NiSource’s annual meeting last Wednesday that the merger remains on track to add to the company’s earnings in 2001.

Executives with NiSource Inc. can start breathing easier now as it appears that their company’s hard-fought and much-delayed merger with Columbia Energy Group last November (see Daily GPI, Nov. 1, 2000) is beginning to show its benefits. CEO Gary L. Neale told shareholders at NiSource’s annual meeting on Wednesday that the merger remains on track to add to the company’s earnings in 2001.