Heating

Natural gas customers in Indiana may be seeing a 5% reduction intheir heating bills this winter, courtesy of a proposed taxexemption by Gov. Frank O’Bannon. O’Bannon said last week that hemay suspend the state sales tax similar to a ban he enacted ongasoline sales in June.

The cash market turned in another strong performance Tuesday,even with little in the way of either heating or cooling load forsupport.

Utility stocks have been heating up in recent weeks, and MerrillLynch is jumping on the bandwagon with a proposal to invest up to$1 billion in a new trading vehicle, Utilities HOLDRS (UTH), a”superstock” made up of the stocks of 20 utility companies.

Utility stocks have been heating up in recent weeks, and MerrillLynch is jumping on the bandwagon with a proposal to invest up to$1 billion in a new trading vehicle, Utilities Holdrs (UTH), madeup of the stocks of 20 utility companies.

With the winter heating season totaling 14% warmer than normalso far, gas utilities will be hard pressed to prevent seriousearnings declines. As a result, Nicor ran out and bought a weatherinsurance policy for fiscal year 2000 that is designed to provideprotection from the financial impact of unusually warm weather.

With the winter heating season totaling 14% warmer than normalso far, gas utilities will be hard pressed to prevent seriousearnings declines. As a result, Nicor ran out and bought a weatherinsurance policy for fiscal year 2000 that is designed to provideprotection from the financial impact of unusually warm weather.

A preliminary look at the Canadian supply situation prior to thewinter heating season shows a greater amount of field gas availablethis year compared to last but less gas in storage and less gas onthe way, according to officials at TransCanada Pipelines.Meanwhile, market demand continues to be strong. The bottom line,said Al Jamal, manager of TransCanada’s Western CanadianSedimentary Basin Strategic Assessment, is “the supply-demandbalance is still tightening up” and will continue to do so given anormal or colder than normal winter and a continuation of flatdrilling activity.

A preliminary look at the Canadian supply situation prior to thewinter heating season shows a greater amount of field gas availablethis year compared to last, but less gas in storage and less gas onthe way, according to officials at TransCanada Pipelines.Meanwhile, market demand continues to be strong. The bottom line,said Al Jamal, manager of TransCanada’s Western CanadianSedimentary Basin Strategic Assessment, is “the supply-demandbalance is still tightening up” and will continue to do so given anormal or colder than normal winter and a continuation of flatdrilling activity.

Canadian producers expect their natural gas prices to rise by asmuch as 60% when the next heating season catches up with effects ofthe 1998-99 drilling slump.