Greatly

The shift to natural gas and electricity as replacements for gasoline in transportation would greatly increase natural gas demand, according to Ty Harrison, Societe Generale Energy’s chief strategist, speaking at the opening of the LDC Gas Forum: Rockies & West conference Tuesday in Los Angeles.

North America’s abundant natural gas resources have begun to weaken Russia’s influence on Europe’s energy supplies and could counter Iran’s influence as an energy supplier, according to research by the Baker Institute Energy Forum at Rice University.

It was no surprise when cash market weakness increased greatly Friday. Not only was there the previous day’s futures drop of 31.6 cents as a depressant, but generally moderate weather forecasts in most areas and the weekend factor of declining industrial load played a part.

In the second biggest natural gas market in the United States, California energy officials have kept a keen eye fixed on shale gas, and their revised energy plans and forecasts next year and beyond will reflect a greater impact from North America’s energy game-changer, the author of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) latest report on shale gas told NGI during an interview this week.

Shale play activity has come on like gangbusters in recent years, greatly augmenting the overall supply picture. Some producers appear dubious about how sustainable even the highly competitive economics of shale drilling are during a period in which gas prices universally have slipped below $4 into the pipe, but many keep shifting rigs into their shale acreage anyway.

Despite the National Hurricane Center (NHC) providing greatly enhanced odds of a tropical storm or hurricane named Alex entering the southern Gulf of Mexico by early this week, prices saw small losses at nearly all points Friday.

The plummeting North American natural gas-directed drilling rig count contributed greatly to a more than halving of profit at Schlumberger Ltd., the world’s largest oilfield services company. CEO Andrew Gould told financial analysts there is little hope for recovery this year. The leading executives at rival firms Halliburton and Nabors Industries largely agreed.

The plummeting North American natural gas-directed drilling rig count contributed greatly to a more than halving of profit at Schlumberger Ltd., the world’s largest oilfield services company. CEO Andrew Gould told financial analysts there is little hope for recovery this year.

San Diego-based Sempra Energy closed its purchase of Mobile, AL-based EnergySouth Inc. for $510 million in cash. EnergySouth is absorbed into Sempra Pipelines & Storage, greatly increasing the company’s profile in the Gulf of Mexico region. A “substantial majority” of EnergySouth shareholders approved the sale Sept. 30; they will receive $61.50/share. The transaction has received all necessary regulatory approvals, including the federal antitrust clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. Announced in late July, Sempra’s acquisition gives it a majority ownership in two large, high-cycle underground gas storage facilities that when fully developed will have a combined capacity of 57 Bcf. When the deal was announced Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) revised to “negative” the ratings outlook on Sempra Energy, citing the deal’s provision that Sempra assume $283 million of EnergySouth debt. S&P affirmed the company’s “BBB+” corporate credit rating and its “A” rating on Sempra’s California utility subsidiaries. Included in the purchase is Mobile Gas Service Corp., an Alabama gas distribution utility owned by EnergySouth. Mobile Gas serves about 93,000 retail customers in southwest Alabama. Sempra said than James Fine has been named president of Mobile Gas after previously serving as the company’s vice president for operations.