Heat

July natural gas is set to open 3 cents higher Thursday morning as traders discount estimates of an increase in storage inventories that are well above historical norms and as they factor in expected heat. Overnight oil markets surged.

June natural gas is set to open a penny higher Thursday morning at $4.48 as traders hone their short-term trading algorithms and expect the season’s second triple-digit increase in working gas inventories. Overnight oil markets were mixed.

Utility developers planning combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) projects in the Marcellus and Utica shales are looking for a “power price appreciation” from excess natural gas, not growing demand, to ensure a fair return on their investments, according to an analysis by Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Inc. (TPH).

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Friday announced the department’s final plan for encouraging research, development and demonstration (RD&D) of oil shale and tar sands resources on more than 800,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in three western states.

Combined heat and power (CHP), or cogeneration, is advocated for a dozen states heavily dependent on coal-fired power generation as a way to ease off of coal and address global climate change. CHP often relies on natural gas as its fuel source, although biomass, biogas and other fossil fuels also can be used. A report by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy predicts that in the next two decades there will be “substantial changes” in the way electricity is produced, and CHP is one of the tools for making the transition smoother and less carbon-intensive. “Energy efficiency, and CHP, in particular, represent significant near-term opportunities to make highly cost-effective investments in new energy resources,” said Anna Chittum, author of the report, “Coal Retirements and the CHP Investment Opportunity.” The report urges states to encourage their utilities to invest more in CHP as a means of meeting future demand.

Much of the physical natural gas market recorded small upticks for a second straight day despite the facts that summer heat is waning and the levels of natural gas in storage are more than comfortable. While most regions did report gains, pockets of declines were prevalent on Tuesday for Wednesday delivery in the Northeast and the Rockies, while a number of points were flat. September futures put in a quiet day Tuesday with a $2.775 close, one-tenth of a penny lower than Monday’s finish.

The cash market on average was unchanged Wednesday as weather forecasts for major metropolitan areas showed little in the way of near-term heat, although warmth was forecast for the Midwest and Ohio Valley into the Father’s Day weekend. Physical prices were within a few pennies of unchanged at most points and at the close of futures trading July had eased 4.7 cents to $2.185 and August had slipped 5.1 cents to $2.236. July crude oil shed 70 cents to $82.62/bbl.

Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s stock price may have reached its bottom, an energy analyst said Friday. However, things may heat up in the coming days after activist shareholder Carl Icahn revealed late Friday that his firm now owns a 7.6% stake in the company — and he wants four board members replaced.

Chesapeake Energy Corp., which took incoming fire from all sides last week, is taking more heat about its liquidity from credit ratings agencies and energy analysts than about CEO Aubrey McClendon’s alleged financial indiscretions.