Panels

An independent producer group last week was cautiously optimistic as the House and Senate budget panels moved their budget blueprints for fiscal year (FY) 2010, saying it appeared that Congress “was not going to rush to judgment” on President Obama’s proposed $30 billion in tax hikes for oil and natural gas producers.

Two House panels last Thursday voted out their portions of the economic stimulus spending package promoting increased production of alternative fuels and encouraging more energy efficiency and conservation. The votes, mostly along party lines, set the stage for what could be a partisan fight on the House floor this week.

The Mackenzie Gas Project co-sponsors, led by Imperial Oil Resources, said Thursday that the main regulatory applications will be submitted to the boards, panels and agencies responsible for assessing and regulating energy developments in the Northwest Territories this week. However, Imperial noted in a statement that a final “decision to construct the project has not been made.”

Three House committees and a Senate panel voted out energy bills this week that would provide a host of financial and tax incentives for oil and natural gas producers, strengthen FERC’s enforcement hand somewhat in the energy markets and attempt once again to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to exploration and production activities.

As might be expected at a Calgary conference where producersdominated attendance and the first day’s panels, bullishness onfuture gas prices ran rampant despite last week’s price slump.Emphasizing the challenges and opportunities in reaching aprojected 30 Tcf/year market by the 2010s, speakers at Ziff EnergyGroup’s North American Gas Strategies conference agreed thatCanadian gas is well positioned to benefit both volume-wise andprice-wise in the coming years.

As might be expected at a Calgary conference where producersdominated attendance and the first day’s panels, bullishness onfuture gas prices ran rampant despite the current week’s slump.Emphasizing the challenges and opportunities in reaching aprojected 30 Tcf/year market by the 2010s, speakers at Ziff EnergyGroup’s “North American Gas Strategies” conference agreed Mondaythat Canadian gas is well positioned to benefit both volume-wiseand price-wise in the coming years.