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With strong natural gas production pulled up in its ever-larger U.S. Rockies assets, North America’s leading independent, EnCana Corp., said it would meet its sales growth targets this year and in 2003, after improving its quarterly oil and natural gas daily sales by 9% and generating more than C$1 billion in cash flow.

KeySpan Corp.’s gas distribution side posted a slightly larger seasonal loss in the third quarter compared to last year and a drop in exploration and production (E&P) earnings from its 67% ownership in Houston Exploration Co. The Brooklyn, NY-based company’s electric operations, meanwhile, were the star performer, leading to third-quarter consolidated earnings from operations, after subtracting for preferred stock dividends, of $3.6 million, or three cents a share.

KeySpan Corp.’s gas distribution side posted a slightly larger seasonal loss in the third quarter compared to last year and a drop in exploration and production (E&P) earnings from its 67% ownership in Houston Exploration Co. The Brooklyn, NY-based company’s electric operations, meanwhile, were the star performer, leading to third-quarter consolidated earnings from operations, after subtracting for preferred stock dividends, of $3.6 million, or three cents a share.

Despite the release of a storage report featuring a larger-than-expected 48 Bcf injection, natural gas futures spiked to new 16-month highs Thursday morning amid a frenzy of buying from all market segments — funds, locals and commercials. Modest profit-taking trimmed gains in the afternoon, but the was unable to erase bulls’ work. At $4.299, November finished 7.2 cents higher for the session.

Alberta’s First Nation and Metis aboriginal groups are signaling a more active participation in Canada’s energy exploration and development, after signing an agreement Tuesday with Lakota Drilling to transfer the ownership and eventually the full operatorship of three heavy-duty drilling rigs. Collectively, the aboriginal groups will eventually invest a total of C$13.5 million toward the overall purchase cost of the rigs, and EnCana Corp. has made a minimum four-year drilling commitment at competitive rates to ensure that the rigs are fully engaged.

Within the larger context of expanded capacity and a newly unbundling transmission/storage system, Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co. utility has identified potential future constraints on its intrastate transmission pipeline system in the Imperial and San Joaquin Valleys where power plants and large industrial customers operate. These areas are potentially tight only on a seasonal basis, such as the summer in Imperial and winter in the San Joaquin valley, according to SoCalGas’ Steve Watson, capacity planning manager, who spoke Tuesday at a GasMart/Power panel discussion in Reno.

Within the larger context of expanded capacity and a newly unbundling transmission/storage system, Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas Co. utility has identified potential future constraints on its intrastate transmission pipeline system in the Imperial and San Joaquin Valleys where power plants and large industrial customers operate. These areas are potentially tight only on a seasonal basis, such as the summer in Imperial and winter in the San Joaquin valley, according to SoCalGas’ Steve Watson, capacity planning manager, who spoke Tuesday at a GasMart/Power panel discussion in Reno.

Buoyed by a larger-than-expected 137 Bcf storage withdrawal figure, natural gas futures probed the upside Wednesday afternoon as traders continued to shy away from the short side of the market. After working its way lower throughout most of the morning, February turned higher just before noon EST when it became apparent that sellers would not be able to keep prices below the $2.30 level. The prompt month finished the session in an undeniably bullish manner, carving out a new two-week high and closing 10.3 cents stronger on the day at $2.394.

Caminus Corp. expects to boost its revenues by 40% next year and gain a significantly larger presence in the energy software business with the purchase of Altra Energy Technologies’ software operations. Caminus bought Altra’s software business with 1.975 million shares of common stock (currently valued at about $32 million) and $30 million in cash.