Odds

The odds seemed stacked against a cash price rally following Friday’s November futures decline of 11.7 cents and mild to cool temperatures continuing to dominate the overall post-weekend weather forecasts. But somehow the market managed to pull it off, although the restoration of industrial demand from its usual weekend dropoff was only a marginal bullish factor.

The CME Group’s argument for eliminating the “conditional limit” in the natural gas futures market is “significantly flawed,” said IntercontinentalExchange (ICE).

Although the odds for a Lower 48 gasline originating in Alaska’s North Slope appear to be waning, the state has choices to consider for serving the needs of consumers in the interior and Southcentral regions of the state.

Normally viewed as complementary, the natural gas and wind industries found themselves more at odds last week as the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) kicked off its annual meeting in Anaheim, CA. Windpower 2011 was less bullish than in recent years in announcing growth in megawatts and jobs, and more adversarial on regional and national debates.

Normally viewed as complementary, the natural gas and wind industries found themselves more at odds Monday as the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) kicked off its annual meeting in Anaheim, CA. Windpower 2011 was less bullish than in recent years in announcing growth in megawatts and jobs.

Given recent incidents involving old cast iron distribution pipeline failures, the odds are growing that some form of pipeline safety legislation could emerge from Congress later this year, some industry sources told NGI last week. Following the Allentown tragedy earlier this month (see related story), the Pennsylvania State Senate is also looking into ways to improve pipeline safety as Marcellus Shale development within the state continues to ramp up.

Given recent incidents involving old cast iron distribution pipeline failures, the odds are growing that some form of pipeline safety legislation could emerge from Congress later this year, some industry sources told NGI Monday. Following the Allentown tragedy last week (see related story), the Pennsylvania State Senate is also looking into ways to improve pipeline safety as Marcellus Shale development within the state continues to ramp up.

Oil and natural gas producers and environmental groups routinely have been at odds with each other over the practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), but they are now working together to draft a framework for regulation.

While the House Friday passed the biggest overhaul ever for the offshore oil and natural gas drilling, the odds are slim that the Senate will give a repeated performance this week before lawmakers depart for their month-long recess.