Continuing

The Marcellus Shale’s natural gas volumes are continuing to flow higher, but significant revisions in growth expectations by pipeline giant Williams Partners Ltd. (WPZ) have led one analyst to question whether the “excellent adventure” to establish a major natural gas hub is turning into a “bogus journey.”

The Marcellus Shale’s natural gas volumes are continuing to flow higher, but significant revisions in growth expectations by pipeline giant Williams Partners Ltd. (WPZ) has led one analyst to question whether the “excellent adventure” to establish a major natural gas hub is turning into a “bogus journey.”

Physical natural gas prices continued their volatile ways Wednesday with eastern points continuing higher prompted by pipeline outages and below normal temperatures, while locations west of the Eastern Seaboard were declining. Overall, the national average gain was 95 cents, but taking out volatile eastern points revealed an overall average loss of 8 cents. At the close of trading February futures were 0.4 cent lower at $3.554 and March was down 0.5 cent at $3.553. March crude oil slipped $1.45 to $95.23/bbl.

Continuing low wholesale natural gas prices are not translating into expansion of San Diego-based Sempra Energy’s two utilities’ natural gas distribution pipeline systems. Other factors could be stimulating growth, but the commodity price isn’t, a Sempra spokesman told NGI.

With natural gas reserves continuing to increase, U.S. engineers are testing ways to convert methane gas economically into building blocks to produce chemicals, a job traditionally handled by petroleum.

Natural gas prices in the various North American shale basins rose about 50 cents, or close to 20%, year-to-year from Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan. 1, 2013, moving mainly from the $2.80s to the $3.30s per MMBtu. At the same time, operating rigs in the same basins dropped 21%, according to surveys conducted throughout the year for NGI’s Shale Daily.

With natural gas reserves continuing to increase, U.S. engineers are testing ways to convert methane gas economically into building blocks to produce chemicals, a job traditionally handled by petroleum.

As part of a continuing effort to stretch Bakken and western Canadian oil supplies into new markets, Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. on Thursday outlined a $6.2 billion, four-year effort to expand several of its pipelines to access light oil markets in the eastern United States and Canada.

Physical gas prices overall on average rose a nickel Tuesday, continuing Monday’s stout advance. However, while a scattering of Gulf Coast points managed gains, hefty losses were noted in the Midwest, Great Lakes and in more than a handful of Northeast locations. Options strategies seemed to be in play for the December contracts, and at the close December futures had risen 3.9 cents to $3.769 and January was higher by 2.4 cents to $3.892. January crude oil fell 56 cents to $87.18/bbl.