Persist

Although winter storm conditions were due to persist through Wednesday in the Northeast and Midwest, they had exhausted much of their price-boosting ability in the key northern market areas Tuesday. Production-area numbers continued to rise by modest amounts in most cases, but quotes were mostly flat to as much as 30 cents lower in the Northeast, Midwest and California.

The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) projection that domestic dry gas production rose by about 2% in 2003 appears to be “overly optimistic,” a top official with Anadarko Petroleum Corp. told a Senate panel last Thursday. If this turns out to be the case, it would be the second consecutive year that the agency has erred on the high side when estimating gas production in the U.S.

The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) projection that domestic dry gas production rose by about 2% in 2003 appears to be “overly optimistic,” a top official with Anadarko Petroleum Corp. told a Senate panel Thursday. If this turns out to be the case, it would be the second consecutive year that the agency has erred on the high side when estimating gas production in the U.S.

Could it be that the House’s top energy lawmaker, Chairman W.J. “Billy” Tauzin of the Energy and Commerce Committee, is planning to leave Capitol Hill to head up the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)?

Hurricane forecaster Dr. William Gray of Colorado State University cut his prior tropical storm forecast for the year by one but said the hurricane season this summer should still be more active than normal with 12 named storms (average is 9.6), seven hurricanes (average is 5.9), three intense (category 3-4-5) hurricanes (average is 2.3) and overall net tropical cyclone activity of 125% of the average year for the period between 1950-2000.

American legislators stand warned again that they will do no favors for the proposed Alaskan natural gas pipeline if they persist in trying to nail down a route chosen by what it does for political constituencies.

With several pipeline companies well into addressing the pipeline capacity shortages that persist as natural gas production grows throughout the Rocky Mountain region, Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission LLC (KMIGT) announced two major projects Wednesday, and several other companies detailed expansions planned or in the works during the closing session at the 13th Annual Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Strategy Conference.

With several pipeline companies well into addressing the pipeline capacity shortages that persist as natural gas production grows throughout the Rocky Mountain region, Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission LLC (KMIGT) announced two major projects Wednesday, and several other companies detailed expansions planned or in the works during the closing session at the 13th Annual Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Strategy Conference.

The Energy Information Administration warned last week in itsShort Term Energy Outlook that recent natural gas market activity”reveals the backdrop of vulnerability…..to potential supplyshortfalls,” particularly in light of increasing demand from thepower sector and the winter heating season approaching.