Expecting

Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas said yesterday it expects recordreserve additions this year and a rapid in crease in drillingduring the fourth quarter compared to the historical lull thatoccurs late in most years. Just in the last 45 days the company hasclosed five acquisitions, investing $35 million to purchase 45 Bcfof proved reserves.

Duke Energy, which is targeting its strategy in U.S. growthmarkets, has zeroed in on the right side of the U.S. map, expectingpower generation there to surpass the rest of the country. Thenatural gas giant expects Florida to grow at a rate of 4.5%annually, the Southeast and Texas to grow at 3%; and the East Coastand Upper Midwest to reach 2.5%.

Duke Energy, which is targeting its strategy in U.S. growthmarkets, has zeroed in on the right side of the U.S. map, expectingpower generation there to surpass the rest of the country. Thenatural gas giant expects Florida to grow at a rate of 4.5%annually, the Southeast and Texas to grow at 3%; and the East Coastand Upper Midwest to reach 2.5%.

The impact of the 1.325 Bcf/d Alliance Pipeline and the 1 Bcf/dVector Pipeline on Chicago basis prices will be a lot lesssignificant than some may be expecting, according to several marketobservers speaking at the LDC Forum in Chicago last week.

The impact of the 1.325 Bcf/d Alliance Pipeline and the 1 Bcf/dVector Pipeline on Chicago basis prices will be a lot lesssignificant than some may be expecting, according to several marketobservers speaking at the LDC Forum in Chicago yesterday.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy InformationAdministration said on Friday it is expecting the highest averagegas wellhead prices (nominal) in history this year and the highestprices in real (inflation adjusted) terms since 1985.

The Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administrationsaid on Friday it is expecting the highest average gas wellheadprices (nominal) in history this year and the highest prices inreal (inflation-adjusted) terms since 1985.

That softening that everybody was expecting in vain since thestart of last week finally showed up to start off this week. Mostdeclines were in the neighborhood of a dime but generally were lessthan that in the West, especially California, and much greater thanthat at Northeast citygates.

Commonwealth Edison and PECO Energy told regulators last weekthey are expecting approval of their mega-merger in near recordtime because of a long list of expected merger benefits and fewapparent regulatory hurdles. They filed applications and notices ofreorganization last week with FERC, the Pennsylvania PUC and theIllinois Commerce Commission.