Distant

The expiring August contract settled unchanged, but more distant contracts eased although analysts viewing a deteriorating price regime remain optimistic and suggest that if prices should somehow surge pass $5 during the hurricane season or later in the fall, it would be a good time to initiate producer hedging. At the close August remained unchanged at $4.370 and September had fallen 1.3 cents to $4.318. September crude oil faltered $2.19 to $97.40/bbl.

A frigid weekend in many sections was becoming a distant memory for many people who thought they had already seen too much winter already. Spot gas demand was dropping, and it was quite possible that more storage supplies were being substituted in its place, resulting in substantial declines in numbers across the board Tuesday.

Firing up some of the currently idled ethanol plants in the not-too-distant future could spell an increase in natural gas demand just as the results of the lower rig count begin to show up in declining natural gas production, according to an analysis from Newedge, a global brokerage firm.

Firing up some of the currently idled ethanol plants in the not-too-distant future could spell an increase in natural gas demand just as the results of the lower rig count begin to show up in declining natural gas production, according to an analysis from Newedge, a global brokerage firm.

Providing retail gas customers a choice of suppliers via theInternet is a distant hope of some visionaries in the gas industry,but pioneers at Bay State Gas already have made it happen. TheMassachusetts distributor has upgraded its interactive web site toallow customers to shop for suppliers competing in its supplierchoice pilot program and to provide an easy method for suppliers toenroll new customers and check their daily pooling requirements.The web site also offers customers the option of checking their gasusage, reviewing their bills, and buying additional products andservices.