Maintaining

The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) plans to undertake a study next year of the social and economic costs of maintaining restrictions on access to onshore and offshore federal lands for oil and natural gas development.

Maintaining Monday’s downward price momentum, May natural gas futures on Tuesday shed another 11.2 cents to finish the regular session at $7.418. More impressively, the contract’s trading range on the day seemed to point towards the possibility that the week’s 38.3-cent drop through Tuesday might be added to on Wednesday.

Maintaining Thursday’s momentum, October natural gas futures punched below the psychological $6 level in overnight trading and remained there through the course of Friday’s holiday-shortened session. The prompt month put in a low of $5.820 during the quiet session before settling the week at 1 p.m. EDT at $5.877, down 17.1 cents on the day and $1.467 lower than the previous Friday’s close. The week also saw the September contract go off of the board at $6.816.

Maintaining the status quo in natural gas utility rate design may be costly to consumers, utilities and society, but innovative rate designs and true-up mechanisms could align the interests of all stakeholders, according to a white paper by the American Gas Foundation (AGF).

Maintaining Monday’s momentum, August natural gas on Tuesday climbed to a high of $5.850 before retracing most of its steps in the afternoon. Despite the morning run-up, the prompt month settled at $5.633, up only 2.5 cents from Monday’s close.

Maintaining the downward trend from last week, natural gas futures prices dipped below $6 on Monday in a move many traders did not expect just weeks ago. July natural gas, which expires Wednesday, ended up closing at $5.969, down 25.7 cents on the day.

After maintaining and even building on Monday’s gains, natural gas futures traders on Tuesday were becoming more comfortable with labeling last week’s $6.450 a “bottom.” April natural gas on Tuesday put in a high of $7.22 before settling at $7.167, up 16 cents on the day and 52.1 cents for the week.

The New England gas industry Thursday had its fingers crossed that its apparent success maintaining deliveries during the sub-zero temperatures so far this week would last through the bitter cold on Friday morning.

Moody’s Investors Service on Tuesday said it was maintaining a “developing” outlook on Dynegy Inc. and its subsidiaries following the company’s pricing for $1.45 billion of new second priority senior secured notes and $175 million of convertible subordinated debentures (see Daily GPI, Aug. 4).