Country

While Eastern Pennsylvania utility, PP&ampL Resources, continuedits cross-country expansion, annexing assets in Montana and Maine,former utility Montana Power mapped out a future in oil, gas andtelecommunications.

“We are standing on the doorstep of some of America’s largestenergy-consuming markets: Boston, New York City, Chicago,Dallas-Fort Worth, San Francisco and Los Angeles. We believe therewill be about a half-dozen national energy providers. SouthernCompany intends to be one of those companies.”

Duke Energy Field Services became the top NGL producer in thecountry and the second largest gas marketer with completion of itspurchase of UPFuels, and Union Pacific Resources’ marketingoperations for $1.35 billion.

Duke Energy Field Services becomes the top NGL producer in thecountry and the second largest gas marketer with completion of itspurchase of UPFuels, and Union Pacific Resources’ marketingoperations for $1.35 billion.

Shrinking demand due to warmer weather throughout the countryconspired with a 6.1-cent drop on the Nymex futures contractThursday to put an end to a small and short-lived boost from arelatively bullish storage report. Friday’s cash prices retreatedan average of 3-4 cents in most areas, erasing the small gains fromThursday’s trading, and bringing cash back to the level it hoveredaround most of the week.

Despite a disappointing storage report and continuedabove-normal temperatures across the country, natural gas futuresbubbled higher yesterday as technical traders found good value inprices near the bottom end of the recent trading range. And byadvancing 6.2 cents to settle at $1.837, the March contract notonly washed clean Wednesday’s declines but also positioned itselfback in the middle of the $1.725-925 trading range. Estimatedvolume was a somewhat lackluster 61,716 contracts.

Anyone who’s been outside just about anywhere in the countryknows summer came on early this year and came on strong. Electricutilities that usually don’t hit their demand peaks until July orAugust hit their high marks last month. And the heat likely won’tbe retreating in August.