Constantly

In a market environment where the only certainty is that there is none, natural gas wholesale buying requires a philosophy that is constantly reviewed and reiterated to organizational leaders, said Val Trinkley, general manager of EnergyUSA, speaking at GasMart 2008 in Chicago Thursday. The energy marketer with NiSource conducted a workshop on “Natural Gas Risk Management — Developing a Strategy.”

El Paso Corp.’s decision early this year to cut spending in U.S. exploration and production (E&P) and focus more on South Texas, the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and coalbed methane (CBM) has proven to be a challenge for management as it figures out how to make the best with the least amount of money possible.

Supplying the growing demand for natural gas in the future willbe a foot race between the costs of producing it and the constantlychanging technology to market it. Marketers also have to leap twoimportant hurdles — regulations and taxes — before crossing thefinish line. Still, it’s a race with a lot of winners, says StuartMcGill.

Supplying the growing demand for natural gas in the future willbe a foot race between the costs of producing it and the constantlychanging technology to market it. Marketers also have to leap twoimportant hurdles — regulations and taxes — before crossing thefinish line. Still, it’s a race with a lot of winners, says StuartMcGill.