Mind

Both cash and futures worked their way lower in active trading Tuesday with futures traders almost of the mind that $1-plus futures prices are just around the corner. The physical market saw broad weakness east of the Continental Divide, but cooler weather on the West Coast and additional loads at Northeast points provided notable strong points and quotes finished solidly in the black. At the close of futures trading May had shed 7.6 cents to $2.031 to reach a new set of 10-year low prices and June had dropped 7.1 cents to $2.152. May crude oil tumbled $1.44 to $101.02/bbl.

While its investments with Chesapeake Energy Corp. in Barnett and Utica shale gas and oil plays have been widely publicized, Paris-based Total SA also is quietly investing in a major research and development (R&D) project looking at in-ground ways to develop oil shale, an unrealized dream of energy independence that the industry and some policymakers have flirted with for decades.

Seemingly unable to make up its mind about how substantive recent weather-based demand is, most of the cash market reversed direction for a third straight day Wednesday in chalking up small gains at nearly all points.

With last fall’s San Bruno, CA, pipeline rupture still fresh in everyone’s mind, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) said it has rededicated itself to pipeline safety and formed a new executive-level task force.

With last fall’s San Bruno, CA, pipeline rupture still fresh in everyone’s mind, the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) said Thursday it has rededicated itself to pipeline safety and formed a new executive-level task force.

“Terrific” may not be the first word that comes to mind when describing the economy in 2009, but for investors in natural gas and oil stocks, last year was absolutely divine, with nearly 85% of the stocks in the global market delivering positive returns, according to a report issued last week by energy research firm IHS Herold.

“Terrific” may not be the first word that comes to mind when describing the economy in 2009, but for investors in natural gas and oil stocks, last year was absolutely divine, with nearly 85% of the stocks in the global market delivering positive returns, according to a report issued Monday by energy research firm IHS Herold.

Mercator Energy may be based in Littleton, CO, but President John Harpole has his eyes on the Gulf of Mexico and liquefied natural gas (LNG) on his mind.

Failing to make up their mind on direction Tuesday, traders pushed February natural gas to a low on the day of $6.245 as of 11:30 a.m. (EST) before changing directions to explore higher.