Drivers

Although a shale-produced natural gas surplus remains, it is at a lower level than many expected and thus a couple of drivers could send prices back into a period of volatility, according to Jim Duncan, chief analyst and commodity market strategist for ConocoPhillips in Houston.

Reality suggests that even with a “modest” decline in the U.S. natural gas rig count in 2012, structural drivers should “more than offset” the drop and gas supply growth even may accelerate over the coming year, the energy team with Raymond James & Associates Inc. said last week.

Reality suggests that even with a “modest” decline in the U.S. natural gas rig count in 2012, structural drivers should “more than offset” the drop and gas supply growth even may accelerate over the coming year, the energy team with Raymond James & Associates Inc. said late Monday.

Results from Talisman Energy’s North American shale plays continue to be positive, but the impact of increased taxes in the United Kingdom and a loss on held-for-trading financial instruments and the timings of liftings led to negative overall earnings in 1Q2011, the Calgary-based producer said Wednesday.

A confluence of factors is setting this summer up to be a soft one for natural gas prices, according to analysts at Credit Suisse.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants Pennsylvania to immediately test its water supplies for radioactivity.

Appalachian production for the exploration and production (E&P) arm of National Fuel Gas Co. escalated in the last quarter of 2010 at a triple-digit pace year/year, jumping 184% to 8.1 Bcfe, with most of the gains — 5.9 Bcfe — from the Marcellus Shale, executives said Friday.

May natural gas futures retreated Monday as traders looked to near-term weather forecasts and related weakness for price drivers. At the close the May contract had given up 6.2 cents to $4.008 and June retreated 5.8 cents to $4.111. May crude oil was also weak falling 58 cents to $84.34/bbl.

May natural gas futures retreated Monday as traders looked to near-term weather forecasts and related weakness for price drivers. At the close the May contract had given up 6.2 cents to $4.008 and June retreated 5.8 cents to $4.111. May crude oil was also weak falling 58 cents to $84.34/bbl.