Guidance

XTO Energy Inc. said Monday it expects to grow its natural gas-heavy production base about 12% more than last year, with more than half of its development budget directed to East Texas activities. Meanwhile, Magnum Hunter Resources Inc. raised its week-old fourth quarter forecast, calling the previous estimate too conservative.

After opening lower in sympathy with lower cash market prices, natural gas futures rebounded Wednesday in reaction to wide price swings in the nearby crude oil pit. Although they finished well beneath their highs for the session, both natural gas and crude oil futures managed gains on the day. January natural gas finished at $5.278, up 3.8 cents for the session and January crude closed at $30.44, up 34 cents.

Decreases in production guidance, combined with modest increases in 2002 capital spending, imply that oil and gas companies “are spending more money with [fewer] results,” according to the latest Lehman Brothers Oil & Gas report on large-cap exploration and production (E&P) companies. In the near term, analysts believe that rising natural gas prices will lead to a rally in E&P shares. In the longer term, however, economic implications of falling production per share are “troubling.”

The global, multi-billion-dollar deal announced by California and Williams last week that could ultimately include two other states and more than a dozen local governments, along with a series of class action plaintiffs, calls for California to gain more control of its long-term power contracts and receive up to $417 million in separate payments from the energy company.

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) last week reiterated an earlier third quarter earnings guidance of 63 cents a share, with earnings of $2.64 a share for the year, maintaining a forecast for 34% growth over last year. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP), the master limited partnership, also held to its forecast to earn 45 cents per unit in the third quarter, and $1.83 per unit for the year, which would be a 17% gain over 2001. The forecasts mirror Wall Street expectations.

Moody’s Investors Service last week revised the outlooks for Dominion Resources Inc. (Baa1 senior unsecured.) and its gas pipeline subsidiary CNG (A3 senior unsecured) to negative from stable, citing concerns over financial risk from debt-financed growth, particularly at Dominion Energy and Consolidated Natural Gas (CNG). However, the credit rating agency said the outlook remains stable for securities issued by Virginia Electric and Power (A2 senior secured) based upon regulatory support afforded the utility in Virginia through 2007.

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI) on Wednesday reiterated an earlier third quarter earnings guidance of 63 cents a share, with earnings of $2.64 a share for the year, maintaining a forecast for 34% growth over last year. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP), the master limited partnership, also held to its forecast to earn 45 cents per unit in the third quarter, and $1.83 per unit for the year, which would be a 17% gain over 2001. The forecasts mirror Wall Street expectations.

Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday revised the outlooks for Dominion Resources Inc. (Baa1 senior unsecured.) and its gas pipeline subsidiary CNG (A3 senior unsecured) to negative from stable, citing concerns over financial risk from debt-financed growth, particularly at Dominion Energy and Consolidated Natural Gas (CNG). However, the credit rating agency said the outlook remains stable for securities issued by Virginia Electric and Power (A2 senior secured) based upon regulatory support afforded the utility in Virginia through 2007.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Wednesday sought to provide guidance to the power industry on the formation of an organization to develop wholesale electric industry business practice and communications standards. Although the Commission is giving industry first crack at developing such an organization, FERC made it clear that if the electricity sector does not step up to the plate — and quickly — the agency will either select an organization itself or set up a procedure to develop the standards.