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Just as what could be remembered as one of the most intensehurricanes ever to make landfall on U.S. soil gradually turned tothe north and away from production assets in the Gulf of Mexico,natural gas futures turned south yesterday as traders priced stormconcerns out of the market. After gapping lower to open at $2.69the October contract never looked back, tumbling 14.5 cents on theday to finish at $2.636.

Rocky Mountain gas producers heard encouraging news on the rolethey could play in helping the industry achieve a 30 Tcf market by2010. Several speakers at the Colorado Oil & Gas Association’sannual conference earlier this month in Denver delivered themessage that it’s largely up to the Rockies to make that kind ofmarket growth a reality.

Rocky Mountain gas producers heard encouraging news last week onthe role they could play in helping the industry achieve a 30 Tcfmarket by 2010. Several speakers at the Colorado Oil & GasAssociation’s annual conference last week in Denver delivered themessage that it’s largely up to the Rockies to make that kind ofmarket growth a reality.

Against the backdrop of NiSource Inc.’s hostile takeover bid forColumbia Energy Group, a number of U.S. and foreign electriccompanies were emerging last week as potential third-party suitorsfor the diversified energy concern.

Several Wisconsin utilities and gas producers have asked FERC toplay it cautious when reviewing ANR Pipeline’s application for asecond capacity expansion of its existing system through northernIllinois and southern Wisconsin markets.

Several Wisconsin utilities and gas producers have asked FERC toplay it cautious when reviewing ANR Pipeline’s application for asecond capacity expansion of its existing system through northernIllinois and southern Wisconsin markets.

Political forces are prevailing over economics in California’songoing efforts to finish the job of unbundling its natural gas andelectricity industries, and no one in the newly elected Gov. GrayDavis’s administration so far is getting involved, according toenergy industry observers in the state capital in Sacramento. As aresult, three months into 1999, the five-member California PublicUtilities Commission is operating with two vacant seats, stillawaiting gubernatorial appointments.

Like an irate mother ordering her child to come inside while theother children play, the Georgia Public Service Commissionunanimously voted Tuesday to order a full hearing into Atlanta GasLight’s (AGL) rate charging operations. The hearings will beginFeb.3 and a decision is expected by Feb. 9. The vote took placeduring a regular session of the commission.