Gaining

Shortly after gaining FERC approval Transwestern Pipeline Co. LLC last Monday placed the second and final phase of its Phoenix Expansion Project in service. This part of the project includes all of the facilities in Arizona: the 280-mile Phoenix Lateral, modifications at the Seligman Compressor Station, the Ash Fork facility, customer laterals, meter stations and associated facilities.

August natural gas futures expired on a positive note Friday, gaining 16.7 cents to settle at $6.110 in active trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Traders cited short-covering as the dominant factor leading to the rise, but in the larger scope they noted that fundamental factors continued to favor the bears. Uninspired temperature and tropical forecasts could lead to a repeat of last year’s price collapse.

The lower house Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee early in July passed out two measures that are gaining traction before the California state legislature takes its month-long summer recess. They would create a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal siting process and increase the state’s renewable energy goal to 33% by 2020.

The lower house Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee late Monday passed out two measures that are gaining traction before the California state legislature takes its month-long summer recess. They would create a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal siting process and increase the state’s renewable energy goal to 33% by 2020.

GE Energy Financial Services added to its growing U.S. energy infrastructure last week after gaining majority control of Regency Energy Partners LP in a $603 million deal. Regency owns 4,000 miles of natural gas gathering pipe systems in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kansas, as well as a 320-mile intrastate gas pipeline in Louisiana.

Six years after it was the center of an economic and energy meltdown, California’s latest public-sector energy financings are gaining improved reviews by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) and Moody’s Investors Service.

Gaining some national attention from energy and environmental agencies, California’s burgeoning central valley city of Fresno has developed a clean transportation fleet and solar energy program under Mayor/actor Alan Autry and Gov./actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fresno boasts one of the cleanest city-operated transportation fleets and a 665-kWh solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its municipal service center.

After gaining 12.9 cents on Tuesday, June natural gas futures gave virtually all of it back on Wednesday as the prompt month eased its way closer to a test of the important $6 support level. On the day, the June contract settled at $6.129, down 12.3 cents from Tuesday

After gaining significant onshore assets this year through the purchase of Patina Oil & Gas and United States Exploration, Houston-based Noble Energy Inc. said Tuesday that will sell its Gulf of Mexico shelf assets for $625 million to Coldren Resources LP, a subsidiary of Coldren Oil & Gas Co. LP, which is a First Reserve portfolio company.