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The tug-of-war being played out for Southern Union Co. continued on Tuesday with Energy Transfer Equity LP (ETE) topping by 25 cents a $44/share offer by Williams. The $9.4 billion bid is the second time ETE has countered Williams’ offers for the Houston-based gas pipeline company.

Canadian natural gas exports, defying consensus forecasts of shrinkage, held firm and even increased modestly during first quarter of 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said.

Canadian natural gas exports, defying consensus forecasts of shrinkage, held firm and even increased modestly during first quarter of 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said.

The Republican-controlled Ohio Senate passed Substitute HB 133 by a 22-10 vote on Wednesday. The measure creates a five-member Oil and Gas Leasing Commission (OGLC) and opens land owned by the state — including state parks but not nature preserves — to oil and gas leasing.

Two former federal regulators appear confident that Congress will pass energy legislation this year, even though the 2012 election season is fast approaching — a time when most lawmakers shy away from contentious energy matters.

Even in a period of slowing U.S. wind development, Spain-based Iberdrola Renewables announced that it will spend $6 billion in the United States for new and upgraded wind developments through the end of this year. Iberdrola Chairman Ignacio Galan made the commitment during a meeting earlier in May with the U.S. secretaries of Energy and Commerce. The company head said $3.9 billion will be focused on construction of new wind farms and they will be eligible for up to $1 billion from the Department of Energy’s loan guarantees under the federal stimulus program. The remaining $2.1 billion in investment will be used for what Iberdrola called “improving the quality of supply” to an existing base of 2.4 million customers that Iberdrola serves in the United States. Iberdrola said it installed 1.78 GW of wind power capacity last year in the United States, and it estimates that 1.5 GW of U.S. wind power will be added this year.

Rockies natural gas pricing “continues to strengthen on a relative basis,” and new pipelines scheduled for completion this year will provide even more market access, Ultra Petroleum Corp. CEO Michael Watford said during a first quarter earnings conference call.

Rockies natural gas pricing “continues to strengthen on a relative basis,” and new pipelines scheduled for completion this year will provide even more market access, Ultra Petroleum Corp. CEO Michael Watford said during a first quarter earnings conference call.

Prices rebounded at nearly all points Monday, even with weather forecasts being mostly mild to chilly in northern market areas and merely warm — but not especially hot except from Texas through parts of the desert Southwest — in the southern U.S. The previous Thursday’s futures gain of 10.2 cents and returning industrial demand after a holiday weekend were chiefly responsible for the overall firmness.