Forecasted

During the first quarter Pioneer Natural Resources Co. grew production by 10,000 boe/d to 147,000 boe/d, a 7% increase from the year-ago period, thanks to growth in its three core liquids-rich assets in Texas: the Spraberry field, the Eagle Ford Shale and the Barnett Shale Combo play.

Due to forecasted lower demand this weekend and limited operational flexibility to manage imbalances, three Spectra Energy pipes — Texas Eastern, Algonquin and East Tennessee — are requiring operators of all receipt and delivery points to maintain flat or negative imbalances for the gas days of Saturday and Sunday.

Columbia Gas Transmission LLC said gas days Sept. 17-19 were to be deemed to be a “critical days” for storage. “Based on storage injection capacity and on forecasted firm storage injection requirements, transporter projects that all available storage injection capacity will be required to meet firm service obligations,” the company said. “Transporter projects no availability of interruptible storage injection services. Storage withdrawal services are not impacted by this notice.”

Due to forecasted high demand in its Northeast market area, effective Thursday Maritimes & Northeast U.S. (M&N) will require all delivery point operators to keep actual daily takes out of the system less than or equal to scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position. Similarly, all receipt point operators must keep actual daily receipts into the system greater than or equal to scheduled quantities regardless of their cumulative imbalance position, M&N said.

Spending by North American exploration and production (E&P) companies is expected to jump substantially this year and is much higher than forecasted just six months ago, according to the latest worldwide spending survey by Dahlman Rose & Co.

North American exploration and production (E&P) spending in North America is expected to jump substantially in 2011 and is much higher than forecasted six months ago, according to the latest worldwide spending survey by Dahlman Rose & Co.

Effective Saturday (April 9) until further notice, Nicor Gas implemented pipeline caps for deliveries to its citygate. The OFO Cap Day “is necessary due to forecasted unseasonably warm weather over the weekend period resulting in reduced system demand,” the northern Illinois LDC said. It also halted Nicor Hub interruptible storage injection services until further notice but said withdrawals will continue to be accepted. See the bulletin board for further details.

Those who viewed the lackluster morning trade and forecasted a quiet lead into the weekend for natural gas futures were sorely mistaken as a fierce round of short-covering was sparked just before 2 p.m. EDT. April natural gas futures reached a high of $4.425 before closing out the regular session at $4.403, up 15.9 cents from Thursday’s close.

Related to the colder-than-normal weather forecasted in its market area, Southern Star Central has posted a list of criteria (see the bulletin board) to which shippers must adhere to prevent the pipeline from issuing a systemwide or point- or shipper-specific OFO on short notice. The restrictions are expected to remain in effect until the start of Monday’s gas day.