Marshall

Between the recent pipeline accidents near Marshall, MI, and in San Bruno, CA, and the fact that the current natural gas pipeline network was set up decades ago to serve the eastern mega-market that now is developing its own supply, the natural gas transmission sector faces a number of challenges going forward.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has ordered Chesapeake Appalachia LLC to cease operations at its Marshall County gas well drilling site where an ignition occurred on the morning of Sept. 19. A notice of violation also was issued.

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has ordered Chesapeake Appalachia LLC to cease operations at its Marshall County gas well drilling site where an ignition occurred on the morning of Sept. 19. A notice of violation also was issued.

Despite the current bearish landscape in natural gas market fundamentals, Raymond James analyst J. Marshall Adkins said he sees a “continued rebound in gas prices” going into 2007 as “the natural gas overhang experienced throughout the injection season will dissipate.” As a result the analyst’s group is still predicting $10 Henry Hub gas for the entirety of 2007.

Despite the current bearish landscape in natural gas market fundamentals, Raymond James analyst J. Marshall Adkins said he sees a “continued rebound in gas prices” going into 2007 as “the natural gas overhang experienced throughout the injection season will dissipate.” As a result the analyst’s group is still predicting $10 Henry Hub gas for the entirety of 2007.

Despite the moderating tropical weather picture, Raymond James analyst J. Marshall Adkins said the natural gas bulls have room to roam if the BTU-parity price ratio between natural gas and oil is a valid indicator. The analyst is expecting a full-year 2006 price of $7.54/MMBtu and a full-year 2007 price of $10/MMBtu.

Questioning whether the natural gas market is currently in a “doom & gloom” or “demand boom” period, Raymond James analyst J. Marshall Adkins said one year after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation there should be a “substantial” year-over-year natural gas demand increase.

Due to a host of factors including supply disruptions related to Hurricane Katrina, Raymond James analyst J. Marshall Adkins said Monday he is raising the consulting company’s near- and long-term commodity price forecasts for natural gas and oil.

To energy analyst Marshall Adkins of Raymond James, it is becoming clear that the United States is facing a “major natural gas supply problem that is likely to lead to higher gas prices over the summer and a potential gas price explosion next winter.” Adkins, who last month had predicted a bullish first quarter sequential decline of 2% and year-over-year decline of 3%, said last week that not only is U.S. gas production falling faster than analysts first thought, but “the supply deterioration has been shocking even to us.”