Midwestern

The market for products and services to support companies plying shale gas basins in the United States will grow to about $50 billion annually in 2015 as development continues in the Marcellus, Haynesville, Fayetteville and other shale plays, according to a recent study.

Despite the fact that much of the midwestern and eastern parts of the country are plunging into the season’s second cold freeze, natural gas futures traders appeared unmoved Friday as the March contract bounced back and forth before closing the regular session at $5.515, up 9.9 cents from Thursday’s finish and 38.4 cents from the previous week’s close.

Despite the fact that much of the midwestern and eastern parts of the country are plunging into the season’s second cold freeze, natural gas futures traders appeared unmoved Friday as the March contract bounced back and forth before closing the regular session at $5.515, up 9.9 cents from Thursday’s finish and 38.4 cents from the previous week’s close.

The economy’s recovery won’t be quick, but the beginning could be close at hand, according to two Midwestern gas and power utility executives.

The market was marginally stronger Tuesday as forecasts of Midwestern lows not far above freezing joined sub-freezing predictions for the Rockies and much of Western Canada in creating extra heating load. Overall temperatures, however, were expected to get no lower than chilly (40s) in most areas, and thus flat to higher numbers only modestly outnumbered losses.

While a number of major midwestern and eastern gas consuming regions were being assaulted by a wintery mix Tuesday, natural gas futures traders pushed March futures 14.1 cents higher to $7.367. Trading was confined to a slim 19-cent range.

Citing stronger margins for both its electric and natural gas utility operations spread around 10 western and midwestern states, Xcel Energy Tuesday reported net income in the second quarter of $98 million, or 24 cents/share, compared with $83 million, or 20 cents/share, for the same period in 2005.

Electricity supplies in the Mid-Atlantic, East Central and midwestern areas of the U.S. are expected to be adequate this summer to serve anticipated demand and the transmission system is expected to perform reliably, although it may experience congestion, according to a recently released report issued by ReliabilityFirst Corp.

FERC on Thursday disputed the findings of a report that was commissioned by the attorneys general of four midwestern states that claimed that natural gas customers had been overcharged $5 billion a month.