Information

Working gas levels in storage at the end of the winter heatingseason have been revised by the Energy Information Administration(EIA) after a report from ANR Pipeline that 47 Bcf of working gasin its Michigan storage facilities was reclassified as base gas.The change means working gas levels at the end of the winterheating season were 3% lower than first reported by the EIA, or1,430 Bcf compared to 1,477 Bcf.

The Energy Information Administration reported that 47 Bcf ofworking gas in Michigan storage facilities was reclassified as basegas in March, which means working gas levels at the end of thewinter heating season were 3% lower than first reported, or 1,430Bcf compared to 1,477.

Columbia Gas Transmission said it opened a data room to provideinformation on 545 miles of small-diameter gas gathering pipelines,called the CHEWP system, and the Holbrook Storage Field, which has1.5 Bcf of total capacity in northern West Virginia andsouthwestern Pennsylvania. Anyone interested in the assets shouldmake an appointment to visit the data room in Charleston, WVA, bycalling (304) 357-2282.

The Energy Information Administration is projecting gas demandin the fourth quarter to be 5%-6% lower than it was in 4Q 1997,which was a colder-than-normal quarter. It sees 8.9% fewer heatingdegree-days this quarter than during the prior year’s period. Allsectors are showing lower gas demand in this quarter, except forelectric utility gas demand, which may hold to levels seen in 4Q1997. Overall natural gas demand growth this year is now projectedto be 2.9% below the 1997 level.

The Energy Information Administration released its Annual EnergyOutlook 1999 (AEO99) last week, projecting gas demand will grow byabout 50% to 33.17 Tcf by 2020 from 1997 levels of 22.59 Tcf, whichis a 1.7% average annual increase.

The Energy Information Administration released its Annual EnergyOutlook 1999 (AEO99) yesterday, projecting gas demand will grow byabout 50% to 33.17 Tcf by 2020 from 1997 levels of 22.59 Tcf, whichis a 1.7% average annual increase. Total energy demand is projectedto grow 1.1%/year to 119.9 quadrillion Btu by 2020 from 94 quads in1997.

The Energy Information Administration is projecting gas demandin fourth quarter to be 5-6% lower than it was in 4Q97, which was acolder-than-normal quarter. It sees 8.9% fewer heating degree-daysthis quarter than during the prior year’s period. All sectors areshowing lower gas demand in this quarter, except for electricutility gas demand, which may hold to levels seen in 4Q97. Overallnatural gas demand growth this year is now projected to be 2.9%below the 1997 level.

The Energy Information Administration has lowered its wellheadprice forecast for the year by several percentage points but saidwellhead prices during the first quarter of 1999 should show a hugeincrease (28%) from average prices during this year’s warm firstquarter.

Expect weakening prices and slow gas demand growth this year,the Energy Information Administration said last week in a sharpdeparture from earlier forecasts. Its July Short-Term EnergyOutlook is based on first-quarter data that show a “surprising”5.1% decline in industrial gas use compared to the same period in1997, despite a 3.4% increase in industrial output by gas-intensivemanufacturers.