Calling

With forecasts calling for below-normal temperatures in the western third of the U.S. this week, while normal and above-normal conditions are due in the more densely populated central and eastern thirds, respectively, prices dropped Friday at nearly all points. The typical weekend decline of industrial demand was an additional, albeit minor, bearish factor.

Former New York Gov. George Pataki said Thursday he supports shale gas and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Empire State’s portion of the Marcellus Shale, calling its development “the right thing to do.”

Calling for more focus and money centered on natural gas pipeline safety, consumer organizations urged California regulators Wednesday to abandon their previous approval of a $1 billion switch to an advanced metering system at Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas).

A new study of private water wells in rural Pennsylvania found 20% to be contaminated with methane before Marcellus operations began nearby, but also found increased bromide levels that could be the result of natural gas drilling.

SemGroup Corp. on Monday soundly rejected a $1.24 billion takeover bid by Plains All American Pipeline LP, calling the offer “opportunistic” and failing to reflect the company’s “bright prospects.”

A group of 10 Republican and three Democratic members of Congress from Pennsylvania is calling on the National Economic Council (NEC) to recognize the economic value of the Marcellus Shale to their state and the potential value of shale gas to the nation — and to leave its regulation to state and local authorities.

The market proved Friday it had at least one more trick left up its sleeve, rebounding at a large majority of points despite The Weather Channel’s (TWC) calling for warmer-than-average weekend temperatures in nearly all regions except Western Canada and the upper reaches of the West. Cash prices did have a bit of support from prior-day futures, but it seemed that weekend declines of industrial load would have largely offset that.

Regulators in Alberta said the province would remove most subsurface well density controls for coalbed methane (CBM) and shale gas, one of several changes announced Thursday for well spacing for conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells.

Calling his company a “growth-oriented” utility, Sempra Energy CFO Mark Snell said the natural gas infrastructure part of Sempra’s business is being redefined and growing at a slower pace. Snell made these observations last Wednesday at the Barclays Capital CEO Energy-Power Conference in New York City.