Burning

Much of the 60,000 MW of dual-fuel power generation in the United States will be burning natural gas this winter rather than heavy fuel oil in contrast to last winter, when record high gas prices compelled generators to burn anything but gas, consulting firm Energy Security Analysis Inc. (ESAI) said in its latest Natural Gas Stockwatch.

Futures traders and observers are going to be burning themidnight oil following final approval of a Nymex board decisionlast week to extend electronic futures trading of natural gas andthree other energy commodities.

Futures traders and observers are going to be burning themidnight oil following final approval of a Nymex board decisionyesterday to extend electronic futures trading of natural gas andthree other energy commodities.

With the futures screen “crashing and burning,” as a producerdescribed it, November bidweek numbers also took a tumble Thursday.However, because much of the futures plunge occurred after swingtrading for today’s flow had been completed, incremental pricesgenerally were down only a nickel or so.

With the $2.2 billion Duke Energy will get for the sale ofPanhandle Eastern and Trunkline pipelines burning a hole in itspocket, the company’s field services division has agreed to buy thegas gathering, processing, fractionation and natural gas liquids(NGL) pipeline business of Union Pacific Resources (known asUPFuels) and UPR’s gas and NGL marketing activities for $1.35billion.