Falls

Inability to find a buyer for its “high-quality” Gulf of Mexicoproperties pushed Miami-based Forcenergy over the edge into Chapter11 bankruptcy last week, Chairman Stig Wennerstrom said in aconference call. At least one other debt-laden producing companycould follow in its footsteps.

Prices continued to deteriorate Tuesday for much the same reasonas in the previous couple of trading days: weather that’s cool butnot sufficiently cold to generate significant heating demand. Therewasn’t even much cooling load left in Texas after astorm-generating cold front that had knocked out phone service indowntown Tulsa for several hours Monday got as far south asHouston.

Perceptions of whether September prices were still fallingFriday sometimes depended on the specific market. A trader in theSouthwest basins said numbers bounced around a bit Friday butessentially had hit bottom late Thursday. But another source saidChicago citygates continued to fall to a low of $1.62.

Enron Oil & Gas second-quarter earnings were hit by weak oilprices but buoyed by stronger gas prices. Second quarter 1998 NorthAmerican wellhead gas prices averaged $1.96/Mcf, up 9% versus anaverage of $1.80/Mcf in the second quarter of 1997. North Americancrude oil and condensate prices were $12.82/barrel for the secondquarter of 1998, down 32% as compared to $18.89/barrel a year ago.