Plunge

Oilfield services giant Halliburton saw its international profits plunge in the first three months of the year, but North American activity sustained the company, led by strong growth in unconventional natural gas and oil basins.

Oilfield services giant Halliburton saw its international profits plunge in the first three months of the year, but North American activity sustained the company, led by strong growth in unconventional natural gas and oil basins.

The expiration-day plunge by November futures had the anticipated effect of dragging all cash points considerably lower Thursday. Also, warming trends in the Northeast and Rockies were reducing heating load further. The fact that Thursday’s deals included a weekend flow day (Saturday) because of the transition to a new month on Sunday added another modestly bearish element to the market.

Russian-based natural gas behemoth Gazprom has added a new wrinkle to its all-out plunge into North American energy markets by riding the climate change wave and the focus on reducing carbon emissions, according to John Hattenberger, president and managing director for Gazprom Marketing and Trading USA Inc.

Russian-based natural gas behemoth Gazprom has added a new wrinkle to its all-out plunge into North American energy markets by riding the climate change wave and the focus on reducing carbon emissions, according to John Hattenberger, president and managing director for Gazprom Marketing and Trading USA Inc.

Not surprisingly on the day after storage news got even more bearish than before and caused a plunge of 38.3 cents by April futures, cash numbers fell at all points Friday. Except for the Rockies, Western Canada and a few sections of the Midwest, freezing lows were continuing to disappear from the overall forecast. The usual weekend decline of industrial load was a slightly negative factor in Friday’s market.

Forecasts of a Midwest plunge into frigid conditions again after a brief warming trend, along with colder temperatures forecast for the eastern South, kept the cash price rally that had begun Monday going at a large majority of points. Monday’s gain of 10.1 cents by February futures also contributed to the overall firmness of the physical market.

Cash prices fell at all points Friday, depressed by forecasts of cold weather moderating in some areas by the end of the weekend, a 42.7-cent plunge in December futures a day earlier and the usual weekend drop of industrial load.

Most points kept falling Wednesday due to a prior-day screen plunge of 68.2 cents and unseasonably moderate weather continuing to prevail in many areas. Another bearish factor was the growing perception that Hurricane Gustav caused little significant damage to Gulf Coast infrastructure — either offshore or onshore — and restoration of shut-in Gulf of Mexico (GOM) production was under way and could be expected to ramp up fairly quickly.