Confident

Canada’s National Energy Board has sent a message toparticipants in the international natural gas trade: Stay cool andgreet predictions of Canadian supply shortages with healthyskepticism.

The stage was set for expiration day pyrotechnics Monday at theNew York Mercantile Exchange. Bulls were confident they could addto the string of five higher highs and higher lows notched on thedaily charts last week. On the other hand, bears believed theconfluence of mild temperatures and follow-through on the heels ofFridays price erosion would set the tone early yesterday. They wereboth wrong. Except for a late and almost inconsequential bliphigher, the July contract was a model of stability yesterday, wherebuying and selling matched up nearly perfectly. July closed out itstenure as spot month up a meager 0.4 cents to settle at $2.262. TheAugust contract finished up 3.2 at $2.324.

Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS) beganconstruction of its 292-mile pipeline system. “We remain confidentthat PNGTS will be fully operational this fall, bringing thebenefits of this important new energy project to customersthroughout New England,” said Michael A. Minkos, president of PNGTSOperating Co.

Confident parent companies Enova and Pacific Enterprises are inthe home stretch for final merger approval by the Securities andExchange Commission, Sempra Energy announced a deal with a nationaltelecommunications marketer, The Furst Group, Inc., that shows it’srapidly expanding in the nonregulated energy and communicationsservices arena.