Country

In keeping with the recent buzz of increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) activity across the country, Texaco reported on Tuesday that it is currently studying the development of a new LNG receiving and regasification terminal in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, while Shell International Gas Ltd. said that it has acquired up to 3.7 million tons of LNG from the North West Shelf (NWS) project in Australia for delivery to the Americas.

Noting the mild temperatures across the country, favorable arbitrage spreads and “ambitious distributor refills,” the industry continues to “inject a significant amount of natural gas into storage,” said UBS Warburg analyst Ronald Barone last week in his weekly research note. Even though national supplies now stand at 958 Bcf versus 1,117 Bcf a year ago, Barone said he expects to see the storage deficit drop and perhaps post a surplus by this summer.

Noting the mild temperatures across the country, favorable arbitrage spreads and “ambitious distributor refills,” the industry continues to “inject a significant amount of natural gas into storage,” said UBS Warburg analyst Ronald Barone last week in his weekly research note. Even though national supplies now stand at 958 Bcf versus 1,117 Bcf a year ago, Barone said he expects to see the storage deficit drop and perhaps post a surplus by this summer.

Texas has become the second state in the country to enact an integrity management plan for its pipelines, after the Texas Railroad Commission unanimously adopted rules last week that strengthen the safety program. So far, California is the only other state to adopt a pipeline integrity management program.

Texas has become the second state in the country to enact an integrity management plan for its pipelines, after the Texas Railroad Commission unanimously adopted rules this week that strengthen the safety program. So far, California is the only other state to adopt a pipeline integrity management program.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP), owner and operator ofone of the largest product pipeline systems in the country,reported on Thursday that it expects to substantially exceed theconsensus first quarter earnings per unit estimate of $0.71 andyear 2001 earnings per unit estimate of $2.98. The company alsosaid it expects to increase the cash distribution per common unitfor the first quarter from $0.95 to $1.00.

Getting in line with the rest of the country that has alreadypassed the increased costs of natural gas through to its customers,Consumers Energy of Michigan has begun warning its customers thatthe three-year price freeze imposed on its voluntary Gas CustomerChoice program instituted in April 1998, will come to an end inMarch 2001.

In a country attempting to embrace electricity restructuring,it’s no wonder that breakdowns like those experienced in Californiacan shake the foundation of programs 1,000 miles away. Not trueaccording to the Center for the Advancement of Energy Markets'(CAEM) latest Retail Energy Deregulation Index (RED Index) releasedlast week, which actually showed that a number of states arerecording progress.

Getting in line with the rest of the country that has alreadypassed the increased costs of natural gas through to its customers,Consumers Energy of Michigan has begun warning its customers thatthe three-year price freeze imposed on its voluntary Gas CustomerChoice program instituted in April 1998, will come to an end inMarch 2001.