Dominant

Envy instead of glee was the dominant mood among Canadian producers as Alberta natural gas failed to take off when international oil prices shot up into the $100-a-barrel-plus stratosphere.

Envy instead of glee was the dominant mood among Canadian producers as Alberta natural gas failed to take off when international oil prices shot up into the $100-a-barrel-plus stratosphere.

The Fayetteville Shale, where Southwestern Energy Corp. is the dominant player, powered double-digit production growth and profits for the company in 2Q2007. Gross daily natural gas output from its Arkansas leasehold was up four-fold from a year ago, to 200 MMcf/d from 50 MMcf/d in 2Q2006.

The Fayetteville Shale, where Southwestern Energy Corp. is the dominant player, powered double-digit production growth and profits for the company in 2Q2007. Gross daily natural gas output from its Arkansas leasehold was up four-fold from a year ago, to 200 MMcf/d from 50 MMcf/d in 2Q2006.

The cash market returned to its recently dominant trend of mixed price movement Friday, with most points being flat or rising or falling less than a dime. The numbers of gainers and losers were approximately equal as the approaching return of hotter weather in some areas was arrayed against prior-day screen weakness and the drop of industrial load that occurs over a weekend.

Gazprom, the dominant supplier of pipeline gas for Russia, the former Soviet states and much of western Europe, has been a sleeping bear when it comes to LNG (liquefied natural gas). That is about to change as Russia’s gas titan lays the groundwork for a U.S. gas marketing and trading operation with an office in Houston and, ultimately, all the trappings of any other gas marketer.

Gazprom, the dominant supplier of pipeline gas to Russia, the former Soviet states and much of western Europe, has been a sleeping bear when it comes to LNG (liquefied natural gas). That is about to change as Russia’s gas titan lays the groundwork for a U.S. gas marketing and trading operation with an office in Houston and, ultimately, all the trappings of any other gas marketer.

Coming out of the gates in the opposite direction from the previous Monday’s 88.2-cent increase, March natural gas futures began this week exploring lower, reaching a $7.910 low before closing at $7.995 Monday, down 61.8 cents from Friday’s close.

U.S. producers will continue to struggle to grow domestic production this year, and international expansion will be a dominant theme and a key driver behind any mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the oil and gas sector, according to a report by CreditSights analysts.