Complexity

Energy in all of its complexity will continue to be “one of the defining issues” of the 21st Century, both domestically and globally, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a packed crowd at Georgetown University Thursday.

Demand for oilfield services in North America’s onshore — especially hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) — is growing faster than companies can add equipment, Halliburton CEO Dave Lesar said Monday.

Gastar Exploration Ltd. is ramping up its Marcellus Shale operations in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, the company said.

The scope, complexity and frequency of major new financial schemes promise to make energy state regulators increasingly scratch their heads and yell for help, a panel of three regulators from the diverse states of California, Missouri and Ohio concluded at the Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) annual utilities conference May 31 in New York City. The three regulators said they and their colleagues around the nation are going to have to “raise their game to grapple with a set of issues that are qualitatively different than what they were only a few years ago.”

The scope, complexity and frequency of major new financial schemes promise to make energy state regulators increasingly scratch their heads and yell for help, a panel of three regulators from the diverse states of California, Missouri and Ohio concluded at the Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) annual utilities conference May 31 in New York City. The three regulators said they and their colleagues around the nation are going to have to “raise their game to grapple with a set of issues that are qualitatively different than what they were only a few years ago.”

Bear Stearns is exiting the energy marketing and trading joint venture CalBear Energy LP, which it launched with Calpine Corp. in September. The complexity of Calpine’s ongoing bankruptcy was blamed.

Indicative of the complexity and breadth of the supply contracts being contemplated for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in the United States, a “cartel-like” pricing structure is likely to emerge as definitive deals come together, a New York City-based energy attorney told an energy conference in Santa Fe, NM, last Thursday. He also predicted offshore terminals may be easier to finance and permit in some areas on the East and West Coasts.

Indicative of the complexity and breadth of the supply contracts being contemplated for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in the United States, a “cartel-like” pricing structure is likely to emerge as definitive deals come together, a New York City-based energy attorney told an energy conference in Santa Fe, NM, on Thursday. He also predicted offshore terminals may be easier to finance and permit in some areas on the East and West Coasts.

Regulators can be expected to add more controls on natural gasand power risk management, which will add a layer of complexity anddiscourage new hedging operations, according to two close observersof the industry.