Jump

On the backs of its Marcellus and Barnett shale drilling success, Range Resources Corp. on Thursday reported a higher-than-expected 14% jump in natural gas-weighted production in 2Q2009 from a year ago. However, because of low gas prices, the producer won’t renew some of its Barnett Shale leases in North Texas.

Looking to jump on the “green train” before it leaves the station, a former UBS banker has assembled experts from Goldman Sachs, Citi, Morgan Stanley and Barclays to form Greentech Capital Advisors (GCA), an alternative energy and cleantech-focused investment bank.

Looking to jump on the ‘green train’ before it leaves the station, a former UBS banker has assembled experts from Goldman Sachs, Citi, Morgan Stanley and Barclays to form Greentech Capital Advisors (GCA), an alternative energy and cleantech-focused investment bank.

A $25 million jump in pension expenses related to last year’s securities market collapse and a slowdown in industrial activity in the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) service territory dragged NiSource Inc.’s 1Q2009 net operating earnings down 10.1% to $170.2 million (62 cents/share) compared with $189.4 million (69 cents/share) in 1Q2008.

Prices rose by double-digit amounts at all points but one Monday. Colder weather was returning in most of the East and the previous Friday’s 34.9-cent jump by February futures provided additional support for Monday’s cash market. The return of industrial load from its typical weekend hiatus also played a role in the price strength.

In the last three years there has been a significant jump in the numbers of customers involved in demand response and advanced metering programs, but barriers still exist and the vast majority of U.S. energy consumers are still untouched by these advances in energy-use technology, according to an annual FERC report. The federal regulatory panel said it was making demand response a priority.

In the last three years there has been a significant jump in the numbers of customers involved in demand response and advanced metering programs, but barriers still exist and the vast majority of U.S. energy consumers are still untouched by these advances in energy-use technology, according to an annual FERC report released Monday. The federal regulatory panel said it was making demand response a priority.

A jump in oil and natural gas drilling, which required more rigs, which in turn created a tight supply market, has caused upstream costs to more than double in the past eight years, according to a report by IHS and Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA). In just the last six months, upstream costs rose 5%, but as the financial crisis bears down on business, prices have begun to moderate.

Third quarter earnings for commodity exchange heavyweights and rivals IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE) and CME Group Inc. read like A Tale of Two Cities with ICE recording a 12% jump and CME Group posting a 16% drop in net incomes when compared to the companies’ respective 3Q2007 results. Likewise, ICE says it saw trading volumes rise in 3Q2008 over 3Q2007, while CME Group reported a small decline.