Demand

Unconventional gas resources — coalbed methane, tight gassands and gas shale — could contribute as much as one quarter ormore to the 30 Tcf demand market that the natural gas industryexpects to materialize over the next two decades, according to anew paper released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Citing significant market area demand, Florida Gas Transmissionissued an Overage Alert Day notice, effective Tuesday until furthernotice, with a daily imbalance tolerance of 15%.

Due to significant demand in its market area, Florida GasTransmission issued an Overage Alert Day notice, effective Thursdayuntil further notice, with 8% tolerance for negative dailyimbalances.

Citing high market-area demand, Florida Gas Transmissiondeclared an Overage Alert Day Wednesday, effective until furthernotice, with 15% tolerance for negative daily imbalances.

Citing significant market-area demand, Florida Gas Transmissionissued an Overage Alert Day notice Tuesday with 6% tolerance fornegative daily imbalances. The notice will remain in effect untilfurther notice.

By the end of last week with rising temperatures, peak demandand political heat, San Diego Gas and Electric Co. and theCalifornia Power Exchange (Cal-PX) worked out a proposal for theutility to purchase fixed price electricity through forward marketsalready in place at the Cal-PX over a longer term five- tonine-month period into next spring. SDG&E has asked stateregulators to okay the purchases at their Aug. 3 meeting.

Citing significant demand in its market area, Florida GasTransmission issued an Overage Alert Day notice Friday that was toremain in effect until further notice east of Station 12 innorth-central Florida. The notice had a 4% tolerance for negativedaily imbalances.

Riding the wave of higher natural gas and power demand andprices, a number of utilities and pipelines have announced thatnew estimates for April-to-June earnings are much higher thanpreviously projected. Sempra Energy, Reliant Energy and Williamsall have released estimates that show an increase in expectedearnings in the second quarter. Sempra also AGL Resources, whosefiscal year third quarter ended June, 30, also expects to exceedestimates for the time period. The companies in part cite greatermargins on gas and power sales as reason for the increase.

Conservative exploration and development strategies andacquisitions, coupled with a growing demand for energy, enabled theworld’s largest oil and gas companies to reduce reserve replacementcosts 14% from a year ago, and dramatically increase net profits -by as much as 900%, according to an analysis by energy researchfirm John S. Herold Inc.