NYMEX

While there are risks inherent in finding the yellow brick road to global energy growth, U.S. natural gas demand is likely to take off between now and 2020, a Goldman Sachs economist told an industry audience last week at the LDC Gas Forum Rockies & West meeting in Los Angeles.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Information Administration (EIA), one of the few governmental agencies that was able to stay open during the beginning days of the shutdown because it had reserve funds, said it would cease operations and furlough its staff at the end of the day Friday.

A court case to decide the fate of local ordinances, or “home rule” laws, in the emerging Utica Shale is advancing before the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Carl Icahn, whose investments in Chesapeake Energy Corp., among others, led to big changes, has turned his eyes to Calgary’s Talisman Energy Inc., where he now holds a near 6% stake.

Shale-driven consolidation among midstream players continued last week with two separate transactions as operators pursue abundant growth potential in building the infrastructure it will take to get more natural gas and oil to market.

President Obamahas accused Republicans of being responsible for restricting oil and natural gas production on federal lands, rather than Democrats, during the government shutdown (seeNGI,Oct. 7). “You know, the Republicans say they’re very concerned about drilling,” the president said at a news briefing. “They say Obama’s been restricting oil [and gas] production, despite the fact that…production is at its highest levels it has been in years and is continuing to zoom up. They say, you know, the Democrats are holding back oil production in this country.”Senate Energy and Natural Resources CommitteeRepublicans quickly fired back. “Forgive us for thinking it slightly insincere of the president to suddenly claim concern about federal oil and natural gas permitting.” The shutdown, which went into effect on Oct. 1, has halted theInteriorDepartment’s processing of onshore permitting and slowed processing for offshore drilling. “So why would the Republicans say to the folks who are interested in drilling for oil, sorry, we can’t let those things be processed…That doesn’t make sense,” Obama said.

The stars are aligning for “much improved” natural gas prices next year and beyond, said First Energy Capital’s Martin King, vice president for institutional research, and it’s no time for complacent thinking.

The average U.S. onshore drilling rig is producing 2% more wells than it did three months ago, and increasingly, rigs are targeting liquids-rich plays over those known for producing dry gas, according to Baker Hughes Inc.

U.S. natural gas supply and demand should continue to be robust through the next 10 to 12 years, but a panel of experts in Los Angeles have different ideas on what this could mean for future prices and volatility.