The typical slump in gas demand that accompanies a weekend wasable to coax a smidgen of softness out of the cash marketFriday-but just barely. Flatness was the word at quite a fewpoints, and decreases at others only rarely exceeded 2-3 cents.Sources continued to remark on how relatively stable the marketfeels even when prices come off a little.
Cash
Articles from Cash
Price Hikes Backed by Futures, Supply Tightness
The cash market resumed its climb Thursday, buoyed by a risingHenry Hub futures contract, a tightening supply situation,spreading cold weather and air conditioning load from Texas throughthe Southeast. A “lean” storage report Wednesday afternoon added tobullish sentiment, a marketer said.
Bearish Results do not Hinder Bullish Outlook
Normalizing weather caused cash prices at most points to drop afew cents to nearly a dime yesterday with the Chicago pointsaccruing the largest losses, but the downturn failed to abatemarketers’ optimism, which was buoyed by a new six- to 10-dayforecast calling for below-normal temperatures for a large portionof the nation.
Friday’s Action Vastly Over-Rated
Thursday night’s Access gains, and higher prices in both theover-the-counter and cash market set the stage for the May futurescontract to blast off Friday. In fact, the buzz around the pit atNymex early Friday centered on when, not if, the prompt month wouldfill in the chart gap up to $2.19. But despite all the hoopla andbullish sentiment, the May contract could manage only a half-pennygain from its $2.16 open, leaving the market to trend lowerthroughout the rest of the day. May finished 1.3 cents lower at$2.124.
Electric Load Helps Generate Higher Gas Prices
Cash prices continued on an upward track Thursday, although thegains were a bit smaller than those posted Wednesday. A fewincreases barely exceeded a nickel, such as at Waha and the HoustonShip Channel, where Texas air conditioning load is growing.Northeast citygates tended to go up about a nickel as a sourcereported storage demand rising there now that the injection seasonis under way. Most other points rose between 2 and 4 cents. It’sthe same old story about why the market has been fairly strong thisweek, a trader said-power generation load, a firm screen andwestern cold.
Unocal Selling Michigan Assets to Quicksilver
Unocal Corp.’s Spirit Energy 76 agreed to sell substantially allof its oil and gas assets in Michigan to Quicksilver Resources Inc.for $27 million cash and about $3 million in unregistered commonstock of Quicksilver.
Unocal Selling Michigan Assets to Quicksilver
Unocal Corp.’s Spirit Energy 76 agreed to sell substantially allof its oil and gas assets in Michigan to Quicksilver Resources Inc.for $27 million cash and about $3 million in unregistered commonstock of Quicksilver.
Chesapeake Lost Nearly $1B in ’98
Chesapeake Energy 1998 year-end results were hammered bynon-cash impairment charges of $881 million. Due mainly to “thesevere decline in oil and natural gas prices during 1998″Chesapeake lost $934 million on revenues of $382 million.
Unitil Buys Into Internet Transactions
Unitil Corp. of Hampton, NH, acquired a minority interest inNorth American Power Brokers Inc. for $3 million in cash, and haslicensed and will deploy North American Power’s Internet-basedtechnology for electricity and gas sales to retail consumers.
El Paso Expands Services by Buying En Cap
El Paso Field Services entered the energy project financingarena with Wednesday’s purchase of En Cap Investment Co. for $52million in cash and stock. Robert Phillips, El Paso Field Services’president, said all regulatory issues have been settled and thedeal will be accretive to El Paso’s earnings beginning April 1.