Paying

Heated commodity exchange competition appears to be paying off for New York-based Nymex Holdings Inc. and Atlanta-based IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), as the arch rivals both reported record earnings and results for the third quarter of 2006.

The federal government received a total of $50 million more in revenues in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 because of oil and natural gas producers paying royalties in kind instead of in cash, the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) reported to Congress.

The federal government received a total of $50 million more in revenues in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 because of oil and natural gas producers paying royalties in kind instead of in cash, the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) reported to Congress Friday.

There may be a silver lining in this year’s plunge in gas prices: it may prevent rioting by the rate-paying villagers. Apparently, consumers have had just about enough of rising bills. Downward adjustments to rates couldn’t be coming at a better time.

Volatility in commodity prices hasn’t stopped acquisitive-minded producers from paying top dollar to buy companies and build reserves in the past year. And even with the recent pullback in prices, energy analysts don’t expect to see a slowdown in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) anytime soon.

Volatility in commodity prices hasn’t stopped acquisitive-minded producers from paying top dollar to buy companies and build reserves in the past year. And even with the recent pullback in prices, energy analysts don’t expect to see a slowdown in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) anytime soon.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone when an energy industry CEO paying more than $20 billion to grow the oil and gas holdings of his company is not a fan of ethanol as a motor fuel.

Producers may grouse about rising costs in the field, but they’re going to keep on paying, according to Lehman Brothers latest exploration and production spending survey. Worldwide E&P capital spending is forecast to grow 21.3% this year, a healthy boost from the 14.7% that Lehman projected in its December 2005 survey. The 308 companies in the survey are projected to spend $261 billion.

Producers may grouse about rising costs in the field, but they’re going to keep on paying, according to Lehman Brothers latest exploration and production spending survey. Worldwide E&P capital spending is forecast to grow 21.3% this year, a healthy boost from the 14.7% that Lehman projected in its December 2005 survey. The 308 companies in the survey are projected to spend $261 billion.