Lead

Continued softness in U.S. natural gas prices and a slight uptick in coal prices likely will lead to more coal-to-gas switching in 2011, Raymond James & Associates Inc. analysts said Monday.

Leaving the job of finding the cause of last Thursday’s San Bruno pipeline disaster to federal investigators, California’s lead utility regulator and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) assured energy utility customers that everything is being done for the victims and public safety.

Expressing confidence that his energy projects ultimately will win, a lead manager for Oregon’s proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and a related 234-mile natural gas transmission pipeline to interconnect with the regional gas grid told NGI that an ongoing state-federal fight in a district court in Eugene, OR, likely will not be resolved until mid-2011. In the meantime there are other permits that Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline will be pursuing that won’t be finished until the same time next year.

Saying he is sure his energy projects ultimately will win, a lead manager for Oregon’s proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and a related 234-mile natural gas transmission pipeline to interconnect with the regional gas grid told NGI Thursday that an ongoing state-federal fight in a district court in Eugene, OR, likely will not be resolved until mid-2011.

A process that could lead to significant cost reductions to transport, store and use natural gas and methane hydrates — especially as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) — has been developed by researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

A process that may lead to significant cost reductions to transport, store and use natural gas and methane hydrates — especially as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) — was unveiled late Wednesday by researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

Successful drilling results in the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas will lead to more spending in the play through the rest of the year, ConocoPhillips executives said last week.

With its reputation in tatters and costs continuing to escalate, BP plc on Tuesday announced a radical shakeup that will bring in new leadership and lead to divestments to make the company leaner. The expected asset sales, scheduled to be completed over the next 18 months, could result in the loss of 8% of BP’s total natural gas and oil production worldwide, which still would put the company ahead of Royal Dutch Shell plc.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) said Wednesday its board named Executive Vice President Kimberly Harris, 46, as the utility’s new president.