Enough

Steady buying in the last 30 minutes of trading was not enough to overcome a massive sell-off on the opening bell and the January natural gas futures contract was left with a 22.9 cent decline on its last day as prompt contract at Nymex Monday. At $6.15, January’s final resting place is almost equidistant between its $7.55 spike high from earlier in the month and the December 2003 contract’s $4.86 closing price.

It’s not as if Westar Energy hasn’t seen enough trouble, but it’s now reported that top executives of the Kansas-based energy company believed $56,500 in contributions to political groups associated with four leading Republican lawmakers last year would buy them exemption from a controversial federal utility law, The Washington Post reported Friday.

It’s not as if Westar Energy hasn’t seen enough trouble, but it’s now reported that top executives of the Kansas-based energy company believed $56,500 in contributions to political groups associated with four leading Republican lawmakers last year would buy them exemption from a controversial federal utility law, The Washington Post reported Friday.

If you thought gas prices were high enough already, think again. The nation’s major natural gas producers said they are still struggling to grow gas supply, and their difficulties, combined with the need to refill storage during a slightly warmer than normal summer should drive prices even higher.

If you thought gas prices were high enough already, think again. The nation’s major natural gas producers said they are still struggling to grow gas supply, and their difficulties, combined with the need to refill storage during a slightly warmer than normal summer should drive prices even higher.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) promised a fellow lawmaker on Wednesday that he would work to tackle the issue of creating transparency in natural gas price reporting beyond simply calling for a study in pending energy legislation when the bill reaches the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives.

Not enough hedging and abnormal weather on both coasts played a role in driving Bellevue, WA-based Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to announce Wednesday it was filing with state regulators for about a 17%, or almost $10 monthly, retail natural gas rate increase. Only 25% of the Puget’s supplies were locked in at fixed prices last year, a spokesperson said Thursday in an interview with NGI.

There is enough natural gas for the industry to make it through the winter, but the fear of a shortage is what’s driving gas prices higher, according to Paul Wilkinson, vice president of policy analysis for American Gas Association (AGA).

Algonquin said requests for service had decreased enough that it was able to lift all restrictions through the Cromwell (CT) Compressor Station Thursday. A limited amount of due-shipper imbalance make-up gas is available, the pipeline said. However, it added that forecasts indicate a protracted period of cold weather settling into the Algonquin service area, during which it will be particularly important that shippers balance receipts and deliveries.