Calls

December natural gas is set to open 12 cents higher Monday morning at $4.14 after weather forecasts over the weekend turned supportive in key market time frames. Overnight petroleum markets slumped.

In the midst of calls to “throw the book” at Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) after the San Bruno natural gas transmission pipeline explosion (see Daily GPI, June 7), a California regulator on Thursday found reason to praise the often-criticized San Francisco-based combination utility.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s energy plan, which calls for the construction of 900 miles of natural gas mains and a host of financial and regulatory changes to make gas available to as many as 300,000 homes and businesses, would cost the state’s natural gas local distribution companies (LDC) $2.26 billion, according to the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s energy plan, which calls for the construction of 900 miles of natural gas mains and a host of financial and regulatory changes to make gas available to as many as 300,000 homes and businesses, would cost the state’s natural gas local distribution companies (LDC) $2.26 billion, according to the state’s Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA).

The top executives that own and operate the idle San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (Songs) in Southern California indicated in separate conference calls on Tuesday that the plant’s fate remains uncertain, along with the 2,200 MW associated with it, which puts uncertainty into the state’s summer energy plans.

As one oil and natural gas producer after another highlighted a swing away from drilling for natural gas in second quarter earnings conference calls, the number of operating rigs targeting natural gas fell again last week, dropping seven rigs from the previous week and marking a decline of 44% from the 883 gas-directed rigs operating a year ago, according to the Baker Hughes rig count.

As one oil and natural gas producer after another highlighted a swing away from drilling for natural gas in second quarter earnings conference calls, the number of operating rigs targeting natural gas fell again last week, dropping seven rigs from the previous week and marking a decline of 44% from the 883 gas-directed rigs operating a year ago, according to the Baker Hughes rig count.

Two members of the Ohio General Assembly are drafting a bill that calls for raising the state’s severance tax on natural gas drilling and would create a fund for localities where drilling takes place.

Two members of the Ohio General Assembly announced Tuesday that they are drafting a bill that calls for raising the state’s severance tax on natural gas drilling and would create a fund for localities where drilling takes place.