Conditions

Characterizing the rapid rise in shale gas as a surprise to the entire industry, Sempra Energy’s top executive heading its liquefied natural gas (LNG) operations cautioned that the industry’s current game-changer needs to be viewed from both global and historical perspectives. Darcel Hulse, Sempra LNG CEO, told NGI’s Shale Daily that the whole shale gas story still needs to play out.

Triple-digit spikes returned to most Northeast citygates as significantly colder conditions were anticipated for Sunday and Monday, but in the rest of the cash market it was even greater softness Friday than before as the previous day’s 17.4-cent drop by prompt-month futures, the industrial demand loss experienced over a weekend, and cool to merely chilly temperatures being dominant from the western end of the South through much of California contributed to an overall bearish mood.

The United States has become a “surplus natural gas producing country essentially forever” because of shale gas, Credit Suisse analyst Edward Morse said recently.

November natural gas futures continued their downward march Monday as traders focused on unsupportive weather conditions and expectations of another hefty shoulder-season addition to inventories. At the close November posted a 10.4 cent loss to $3.431 and December shed 5.5 cents to $3.870.

Moderate to cool conditions were still dominating the overall forecasts, and as a couple of sources had pointed out, Thursday’s 24.8-cent screen plunge “practically guaranteed” lower prices Friday. They were correct as quotes fell across the board from about C5 cents to 30 cents or so; all drops were in double digits except for those at Empress and NOVA Inventory Transfer in Western Canada.

The North American midstream energy sector has a positive outlook over the next 12-18 months based on an expectation that fundamental credit conditions in the industry will improve, Moody’s Investors Service analysts said Thursday.

The North American midstream energy sector has a positive outlook over the next 12-18 months based on an expectation that fundamental credit conditions in the industry will improve, Moody’s Investors Service analysts said Thursday.

The same weather conditions that have been propping up summer temperatures across much of the United States — a La Nina event off the western coast of South America, a relatively cold north Pacific and record warm North Atlantic — will also help produce relatively warm temperatures through November, WSI forecasters said Monday.

MRT said it will lift its warm weather-related System Protection Warning Friday.