Piled

Energy analysts last week piled on their bearish outlooks for domestic natural gas prices through 2011, and forecasts were slashed to as low as $4.00/Mcf for the final three months of this year.

Energy analysts in recent days piled on their bearish outlooks for domestic natural gas prices through 2011, with two teams slashing forecasts to $4.00/Mcf for the final three months of this year.

Given the mild winter, the natural gas piled up in storage and the crippled economy, gas prices are expected to limp along in the $2.00 to $3.00 range for most of 2002, but watch out for the winter of 2003-2004; it could be a real zinger, with prices closing on $4.50, according to projections by Ben Schlesinger & Associates (BSA).

Given the mild winter, the natural gas piled up in storage and the crippled economy, gas prices are expected to limp along in the $2.00 to $3.00 range for most of 2002, but watch out for the winter of 2003-2004; it could be a real zinger, with prices closing on $4.50, according to projections by Ben Schlesinger & Associates (BSA).

Midcoast Energy Resources last week piled more assets onto its growing Texas-Louisiana pipeline empire with two separate deals worth a combined $4.55 million.