Inaugural

Neil Parsan, the Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, will host the inaugural meeting of the Global Gas Council in Washington, DC, Oct. 24-25. The purpose of the council is to create a dialog among the leading economies and companies that produce and consume natural gas, Parsan said. The agenda includes a reception at the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago on the evening of Oct. 24 and a meeting at the Organization of American States 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Oct. 25, followed by a joint reception with the Americas-Africa Business Forum that evening. More than 30 of the largest gas producing and consuming nations have been invited to participate. While attendance is by invitation only, “there are opportunities for industry to participate,” according to Parsan. For more information contact Adanna Taylor at the Embassy by e-mail at ATaylor@ttembwash.com.

The Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, which was formed earlier this month by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett and tasked with reporting back to the governor by July, held its first meeting in Harrisburg Friday.

The energy industry is the second largest financial contributor to President Bush’s upcoming inaugural celebration on Jan. 20, according to a Washington, DC-based watchdog group. Twelve energy corporations and executives, including nine from the oil and natural gas industry, have chipped in a total of $2.3 million for the event, said Public Citizen. The single largest financial contributor is the finance and investment industry, kicking in $5 million, it noted. Of the $17.8 million raised so far for the inauguration, Public Citizen said records show that $17.1 million, or 96%, came from corporations and their senior executives, with two corporations — Ameriquest and Marriott International — effectively skirting the $250,000 cap on contributions by giving multiple checks through their subsidiaries.

As the Energy Information Administration (EIA) counts down to the release of its inaugural weekly storage report during the first week of May, details reveal that the survey and the data produced will borrow some aspects from the American Gas Association’s current report, but on the whole the administration’s report will be very different, according to Roy Kass, EIA’s senior analyst.