Pace

After falling at a gut wrenching pace last week that left the April contract $1.56 lower than the previous Friday, the near month managed a 7.8-cent gain on Monday to $5.507. In fact, the three nearest contracts — April, May and June — all made gains while the further-out months lost a few cents. Analysts’ opinions were mixed, however, on the near-term and long-term direction of this market, and a war with Iraq is likely to make the future even less clear.

Triple-digit gains at most of the Northeast citygates led an overall cash market advance Friday, as forecasts indicated little let-up this week in the severe winter conditions occupying much of the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. and Canada.

Price increases continued Tuesday but at a much slower rate in most of the East, which also saw flat to about a nickel lower numbers at Northeast citygates. Meanwhile, another strong run-up in the San Juan Basin helped induce Rockies points to realize moderately larger gains than they had recorded Monday. California, Pacific Northwest and Western Canada quotes again emulated the overall market with increases of less than a dime in most cases.

The once Titanic-like TXU Corp. was bailing water at a furious pace Monday morning, after a devastating collision with European power markets. By 9 a.m., it had squeezed 80% from its once untouchable quarterly dividend, and cast adrift its European subsidiaries, sinking a plan to infuse $700 million in equity in operations, eliminating them from a cross-default provision on its $500 million bank facility and ultimately deciding that “all portions” of the European business are up for sale.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) between U.S. exploration and production companies continued on a slow pace in the second quarter, and unless oil and gas prices sustain a rise in the final half of the year, the lull could continue, as sellers hold their ground and refuse to drop their prices, said Standard & Poor’s in a new ratings round-up of domestic energy companies.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) between U.S. exploration and production companies continued on a slow pace in the second quarter, and unless oil and gas prices sustain a rise in the final half of the year, the lull could continue, as sellers hold their ground and refuse to drop their prices, said Standard & Poor’s in a new ratings round-up of domestic energy companies.

Gas storage development in the Gulf Coast region has reached a feverish pace, with multiple new projects planned in Mississippi and Louisiana to serve strong power generation and traditional demand growth in the Southeast and other regions. Gulf South Pipeline announced plans Tuesday to join the frenzy with its proposed Magnolia Gas Storage project, which will be located near Napoleonville, LA.

Prices were still moving higher Friday, but at roughly half the pace of Thursday’s uprising. Overall, Friday’s increases ranged from about 8 to 20 cents. Gulf Coast numbers generally rose on either side of a dime, with moderately larger gains in the teens prevailing in other market areas. Most of the upticks above 15 cents were in the West.

As mergers and acquisitions attempt to live up to the pace set during 2000, Denver-based MarkWest Hydrocarbon Inc. reported it has more than doubled natural gas reserves with the $51 million acquisitions of Leland Energy Canada Ltd. and Watford Energy Ltd. — two privately owned exploration and production companies based in Calgary. The companies’ current management, which directs both Leland’s and Watford’s operations, will remain intact, MarkWest said.