Consuming

With ethane prices down more than 30% in January alone, consumers and analysts on the consuming end of the ethane pipeline might be tempted to say the market is moving toward saturation. Not so, said Enterprise Products Partners COO Jim Teague; the bears are “talking their book.

With ethane prices down more than 30% in January alone, consumers and analysts on the consuming end of the ethane pipeline might be tempted to say the market is moving toward saturation. Not so, said Enterprise Products Partners COO Jim Teague; the bears are “talking their book.

Even with an unprecedented heat storm and resource-consuming revisions to its long-awaited market redesign, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) lowered its operating costs substantially for a fifth consecutive year in 2006, according to the grid operator’s annual report. Moderating natural gas prices were cited as one of the drivers.

The major natural gas-consuming countries of the United States, Europe and Asia should work cooperatively to block leading gas exporters from creating an OPEC-like organization for gas, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said last Monday in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

The major natural gas-consuming countries of the United States, Europe and Asia should work cooperatively to block leading gas exporters from creating an OPEC-like organization for gas, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said Monday in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

Canadians expect to make a positive contribution to natural gas prices in the new year — by producing less, consuming more and reducing exports to the United States as a result.

Canadians expect to make a positive contribution to natural gas prices in the new year — by producing less, consuming more and reducing exports to the United States as a result.

Despite the warmer weather in key consuming regions and the recent drop in wholesale prices, the Energy Information Administration is still projecting that consumers will pay substantially more this winter for their heating needs than they did last winter. In fact, expected increases in winter expenditures for natural gas-heated households were raised slightly to 10% compared to projections in last month’s outlook.

Despite the warmer weather in key consuming regions and the recent drop in wholesale prices, the Energy Information Administration is still projecting that consumers will pay substantially more this winter for their heating needs than they did last winter. In fact, expected increases in winter expenditures for natural gas-heated households were raised slightly to 10% compared to projections in last month’s outlook.