Markets

One expansion just wasn’t enough for Mitchell Energy &Development Co., which yesterday announced plans for a secondadd-on to its Bridgeport natural gas processing plant in NorthTexas. The expansion, planned for completion by July 2001, isexpected to help the company double its capacity within a year,matching the rapidly growing gas production from Mitchell’s NewarkEast Barnett Shale field.

The name “ICE” doesn’t seem to do the white-hot trading exchangejustice, after IntercontinentalExchange, which marketsover-the-counter energy and metals products, announced it tradedmore than 2 million MWh in one day — Thursday — just one monthafter going live with its complete energy portfolio.

Powder River Basin gas producers may be about to get a moredirect route to Midwest markets. Northern Border Pipeline hasreleased plans to build a new 325-mile greenfield pipeline fromMcCabe, MT, to Gillette, WY, to tap the rapidly growing productionin the Powder River, which is estimated to hold between 10 and 30Tcf of gas.

Powder River Basin gas producers may be about to get a moredirect route to Midwest markets. Northern Border Pipeline hasreleased plans to build a new 325-mile greenfield pipeline fromMcCabe, MT, to Gillette, WY, to tap the rapidly growing productionin the Powder River, which is estimated to hold between 10 and 30Tcf of gas.

In light of expanding markets being served by El Paso NaturalGas’ South Mainline, East-of-California (EOC) shippers haveexpressed concern with the pipeline’s “Line 2000 Project” in whichit seeks to abandon six aging compressor facilities and replacethem with nearly 785 miles of converted line that would loop muchof its southern leg. The rub is that the proposed project,essentially a one-for-one swap, is not expected to create any newcapacity, yet El Paso is looking for its shippers to foot the tab.

In light of expanding markets being served by El Paso NaturalGas’ South Mainline, East-of-California (EOC) shippers haveexpressed concern with the pipeline’s “Line 2000 Project” in whichit seeks to abandon six aging compressor facilities and replacethem with nearly 785 miles of converted line that would loop muchof its existing system. The rub is that the proposed project wouldnot create any new capacity.

Following the lead of both the over-the-counter and cashmarkets, natural gas futures erupted higher yesterday morning astraders covered shorts on the outside possibility that a tropicalstorm might develop in the Gulf of Mexico. The September contractwas the biggest mover, posting an impressive 21.3-cent gain tofinish at $3.987.

The overall weekend market was firmer Friday, ranging frombarely above flat to as much as 20 cents higher with most of thegains concentrated between a dime and 15 cents. San Juan Basin andthe Southern California border were the rare points seeing smalldeclines.

Cash prices plunged as expected Thursday, with nearly everypoint in all markets down between 20 and 30 cents.