Introducing

As a new generation of thermal production begins, Alberta oilsands developers are admitting that they use too much natural gas and are beginning to cut consumption by introducing new technology on a large scale.

As a new generation of thermal production begins, Alberta oilsands developers are admitting that they use too much natural gas and are beginning to cut consumption by introducing new technology on a large scale.

Colorado U.S. Sens. Wayne Allard and Ken Salazar this week reached a compromise of sorts for the Roan Plateau region, introducing federal legislation that would assist four northwestern counties most affected by the booming natural gas industry.

Energy derivatives brokerage services company Optionable Inc. said Friday that it is introducing seven new swap contracts on its OPEX platform, a real-time electronic trade-matching and brokerage system that has been certified to connect with the New York Mercantile Exchange’s (Nymex) ClearPort clearing platform.

Branching out into other markets while also beating its chief rival to the punch, the New York Mercantile Exchange said it was introducing six new soft commodity futures contracts on the Nymex ClearPort clearing and trading platform at 6 p.m. EST Wednesday for a Dec. 21 trade date. The exchange said it anticipates listing the contracts on Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s Globex electronic platform by the end of January 2007.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) is considering introducing legislation that could make it more difficult for mergers in the oil and natural gas industry to be consummated.

A Florida Republican in the House was joined by 18 other lawmakers from the state’s congressional delegation this week in introducing legislation to permanently ban oil and natural gas off the Florida coastline.

Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) announced they were introducing legislation Wednesday to keep the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) closed to oil and natural gas drilling.

U.S. Rep. John E. Peterson (R-PA) is considering introducing a bill that would bar new construction of natural gas-fired power generation facilities and would establish a seven-member independent commission to undertake a “comprehensive analysis” of gas supply and demand issues in the United States.