Plunging

Despite the fact that much of the midwestern and eastern parts of the country are plunging into the season’s second cold freeze, natural gas futures traders appeared unmoved Friday as the March contract bounced back and forth before closing the regular session at $5.515, up 9.9 cents from Thursday’s finish and 38.4 cents from the previous week’s close.

Despite the fact that much of the midwestern and eastern parts of the country are plunging into the season’s second cold freeze, natural gas futures traders appeared unmoved Friday as the March contract bounced back and forth before closing the regular session at $5.515, up 9.9 cents from Thursday’s finish and 38.4 cents from the previous week’s close.

The dramatic tightening of money and credit markets, combined with plunging equity markets over the last few weeks, have exposed natural gas, oil and other commodities to “major downside risks,” a Deutsche Bank analyst said Friday.

Even in an environment of plunging oil and natural gas prices, a credit crisis and an uncertain stock market, the energy sector has begun to unveil strong 3Q2008 earnings. The announced profit gains, however, could take a back seat to the quarterly conference calls, in which executives already have begun to hint at their exploration and production (E&P) plans — and possible cutbacks — for the coming year.

The dramatic tightening of money and credit markets, combined with plunging equity markets over the last few weeks, have exposed natural gas, oil and other commodities to “major downside risks,” a Deutsche Bank analyst said Friday.

Even in an environment of plunging oil and natural gas prices, a credit crisis and an uncertain stock market, the energy sector is preparing to unveil what should be strong 3Q2008 earnings over the coming few weeks. The announced profit statements, however, could take a back seat to the quarterly conference calls, in which executives likely will hint at their exploration and production (E&P) plans — and possible cutbacks — for the coming year.

Plunging wholesale natural gas prices since mid-summer will allow Xcel Energy to lower its retail electric utility charges in Texas at the outset of winter, but other factors will offset those savings longer term, the Minneapolis-based utility holding company said. Unrecovered higher fuel costs from last winter and spring, along with a pending general rate increase request, may raise retail power rates later next year.

As hinted by Thursday’s plunging prices at Florida Gas Zone 3 and the Florida citygate, Florida Gas Transmission lifted Friday an Overage Alert Day that had been initiated last Monday.

After plunging lower Thursday morning to temporarily threaten the psychological $7 level following the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) 132 Bcf storage withdrawal report, April natural gas rebounded later in the session to settle at $7.288, down 1.2 cents from Wednesday.