Escapes

Automated shut-off valves, which enable natural gas pipeline operators to quickly shut off gas that escapes during ruptures, are not required in all cases, according to a new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Until a major sell-off came Friday, it appeared that priceswould realize fairly substantial week-to-week increases, thankslargely to double-digit gains that started the week off lastMonday. But Friday declines that constituted almost a mirror-imagereversal of Monday’s upticks left most points flat to just a fewcents above week-earlier levels. Northern California (Malin andPG&E citygate) showed the most strength, rising almost a dimeabove the previous Friday.

The anticipated big price drops for the Memorial Day weekendshowed up on schedule Friday everywhere except in Canada. Declinesof a dime or more were common at nearly all points. Only theAppalachian pipes and a few in Louisiana managed to hang on over $2in the producing areas. Chicago and Michigan citygates fell about15 cents into the mid to high $2.00s, and Northeast citygates weredown about a dime into the low to mid $2.20s.