Decline

A Southwestern Energy Co. official said the company will donate $900,000 to The Nature Conservancy to fully fund the first of a three-phase project to restore waterways in Arkansas’ portion of the Fayetteville Shale.

U.S. natural gas cash prices on Monday for Tuesday delivery gained about 20 cents on average, making up just about all of Friday’s decline. The gains were widespread and cool weather forecast to grind its way east along with a firmer screen were all the motivation buyers needed. The Mid-Atlantic and West Coast posted the most notable gains. At the close of futures trading December had risen 6.7 cents to $3.570 and January was higher by 6.1 cents to $3.695. December crude oil eased 50 cents to $85.57/bbl.

A panel of outside experts that will help conduct a health impact analysis of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in New York are not yet under contract, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joseph Martens said Friday.

A coalition of New York landowners that supports natural gas development are blasting the administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo for what may be additional delays in promulgating rules governing drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the state.

Test well results and micro-seismic analysis have identified more than 200 drilling locations in the Mondak in the Upper Bakken Shale, according to initial drilling results released Thursday by Calgary, Alberta-based PetroShale.

The cash market eased overall Monday an average of 3 cents, but if titanic gains at some Northeastern points are factored out, the change was closer to a decline of 6 cents. A major Northeast pipeline announced significant maintenance work and deliveries north into Boston were sharply reduced. Weakness was also noted at California, Gulf, and Rockies points. At the close of futures trading October had sagged 7.8 cents to $2.865 and November was down 6.8 cents to $3.015. October crude oil tumbled $2.38 to $96.62/bbl.

Despite a rig count that has declined significantly, production from the Haynesville Shale during June was climbing, which was reversing the impact of well shut-ins that began in February, an analysis by Bentek Energy LLC found.

Cash market prices overall fell an average of 28 cents Thursday, but much of the decline resulted from short-term weather-driven changes affecting Northeast markets. Declines averaged closer to 14 cents if the multi-dollar free-fall experienced by Northeast markets is not considered, but losses were widespread nonetheless.

Despite two years of decline, BP plc remains firmly atop NGI’s 1Q2011 Top North American Gas Marketers Ranking. read more