Largely

The cash market largely ignored weakening weather fundamentals Friday and sent prices higher at most points. Only plunges in the Rockies and at Transco Zone 6-New York City ran contrary to the overall firmness.

The current crisis in the energy trading market largely will have blown over by the time 2003 rolls around, predicted John Olson Wednesday. He is probably best known as the industry analyst who suspected something was rotten in the state of Enron well before anyone else, earning himself an unfavorable reputation in the Enron executive suite prior to the company’s collapse.

As the gas industry enters the peak summer demand period, market perception has largely flip-flopped from fear of shortage to the assumption of adequate supply for power generation and storage injections despite the growth of power demand this year, according to Energy Security Analysis, Inc. (ESAI). “We can make it now,” appears to be the prevailing attitude, the research and consultation firm said.

As the gas industry enters the peak summer demand period, market perception has largely flip-flopped from fear of shortage to the assumption of adequate supply for power generation and storage injections despite the growth of power demand this year, according to Energy Security Analysis, Inc. (ESAI). “We can make it now,” appears to be the prevailing attitude, the research and consultation firm said.

As the gas industry enters the peak summer demand period, market perception has largely flip-flopped from fear of shortage to the assumption of adequate supply for power generation and storage injections despite the growth of power demand this year, according to Energy Security Analysis, Inc. (ESAI). “We can make it now,” appears to be the prevailing attitude, the research and consultation firm said.

Canadian producers traveled to Ottawa last week to try shaking the Canadian capital out of its largely passive approach to the supply “crisis” threatening the continent, and “make energy resource development a national priority.”

Canadian producers traveled to Ottawa last week to try shaking the Canadian capital out of its largely passive approach to the supply “crisis” threatening the continent, and “make energy resource development a national priority.”

Marathon Group, a unit of USX Corp., said the strategicre-organization of its upstream business is largely complete but anadditional 250 positions likely will be eliminated, leaving theupstream business with 24% fewer employees than in 1999. “We haveplans in place for dramatic change and improvement and I believethat the organization is both ready for change and able to deliveron our commitments,” said Company President Clarence Cazalot.Cazalot introduced a new senior leadership team in September afterannouncing the restructuring plan in October. Commenting on thecompany’s target of implementing $150 million of annual repeatableefficiencies by the end of 2001, Cazalot said, “We are on track todeliver a $75 million reduction in above-the-field costs and wehave made substantial progress towards cutting exploration expensesby $50 million. As we also realize annual savings of $25 millionthrough global procurement, we are well on our way to meet ourambitious overall target.”

Prices achieved broad-based small gains Tuesday largely based onan initially firm screen and lingering cool weather in the West,but were retreating in the late going as futures eventually movedlower.