Monday

With his family in tow, Energy Secretary Federico Pena announcedMonday he plans to leave the Department of Energy (DOE) forpersonal and family reasons effective June 30th, the news of whichelicited ho-hum reactions from the natural gas industry and spurredspeculation that Deputy Energy Secretary Elizabeth Moler willsucceed him.

The May Nymex contract nudged 2.1 cents lower to $2.535 Mondayamid a session marked by a relatively light total estimated volumefigure of just over 30,000 contracts. “Many traders are waiting fordirection from the cash market, and since that hardly moved today,it makes sense futures hardly budged either,” an analyst told GPI.

The May Nymex contract rallied 5.7 cents to settle Monday at$2.409, thanks to what sources said was good peak demand buying inthe physical market. “There was definitely some peak airconditioning demand in Texas today, and that’s exactly where youwant to see it to influence natural gas prices,” one of the sourcessaid. Buoyed by that strength, May had no problem rising from itsopening trade of $2.345, which also turned out to be its low pricefor the day.

Cumberland Gas Pipeline Co., a general partnership of Williamsand AGL resources subsidiaries, is holding an open season for firmcapacity that started Monday and runs to May 29. The 141-mileCumberland Pipeline will initially consist of existing pipelineinfrastructure created by combining the 27-mile Suwanee lateral onWilliams’ Transco pipeline and Atlanta Gas Light’s 102-milemainline. The pipeline will run from the Transco mainline in WaltonCounty, GA, to Atlanta Gas Light’s interconnect with East TennesseeNatural Gas Co. in Catoosa County, GA. New facilities are expectedto be expanded north into Tennessee.

The recent surge in natural gas futures prices became so greaton Monday that the spot April contract came within 4 cents ofreaching its all-time high trade of $2.460. However, speculatorswere quick to “pounce on a selling opportunity” at that price, theresult of which left April up just 0.8 cents for the day at $2.351.Total volume was estimated at 88,053 contracts.

The April NYMEX contract gained a meager 1.8 cents to $2.155 onMonday, as traders continue to hold the spot month to a tighttechnical trading range. The bottom of that range was confirmedwhen April bounced off major support at $2.105. Despite the narrowtrading band, estimated volume still managed to reach 33,502 totalcontracts.

For a change, fundamentals actually seemed to be behind pricemovements at the New York Mercantile Exchange on Monday. The spotApril contract gained 4.0 cents to $2.169 yesterday, as a blast ofwinter temperatures propelled cash market prices up 5-10 centsacross much of the country.

Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Monday began testimony before theGeorgia Public Service Commission (PSC), seeking approval for itsunbundling plan that would give more than 1.4 million customerssupplier choice. AGL’s proposal follows the guidelines of theNatural Gas Competition and Deregulation Act signed into law byGeorgia Governor Zell Miller last April.

March prices, which had roared off to a strong start on Monday,filtered lower Tuesday leaving traders wondering if March wouldfollow the weather adage and trade out like a lamb. Cash priceswere slipping anywhere from a couple cents to nearly a dime Tuesdayin most markets. In doing so, many spot points achieved in Marchwhat they were unable to do the entire month of February: tradebelow index. Rockies gas, however, remained in high demand, immuneto the overall losses.