Points

In a case that points up the marketplace failure of FERC’scapacity release rules, Consumers Energy and the Commission’senforcement section have come to a no-fault agreement over chargesConsumers collected payments in excess of maximum lawful rates forupstream pipeline capacity released to shippers.

Prices began the week with a mixed performance Monday. Flatnesswas dominant at most points, with small drops outweighing smallgains at others. Mild weather throughout much of the nation lent nofundamental support to gas demand. However, sources saw a goodchance for at least modest increases today based on Monday’sfutures uptick.

East-West price tendencies remained at odds Monday. WhileEastern points ranged from flat to down as much as a nickel, theWest mostly was registering increases. Gains were particularlystrong in the California market, where Malin was up by nearly 15cents after PG&E had ended its weekend high-inventory OFO.

Canadian prices were strong Thursday, but it was a verydifferent market south of the border. Nearly all U.S. points werefalling between a nickel and a dime in what several sources agreedwas a “very quiet” trading day near the end of a quiet tradingweek. One marketer said he thinks everybody in the industry wantsto go play golf and say, “See you Sept. 1.”

Lacking any impetus from fundamentals or a sedate futuresscreen, the vast majority of points settled down for a level ridein a quiet market Wednesday. The few increases of any size occurredin the Rockies and California and were attributed to supplyconstraints and continuing heavy air conditioning load.

Wednesday’s cash market was almost a carbon copy ofTuesday’s-flat to about a nickel higher at the great majority ofpoints but going lower in the Rockies. About the only differencewas in California numbers, which were flat to slightly higherWednesday instead of joining the Rockies in softening.

Nearly all points were “flat to up a smidge” Tuesday, as onemarketer described it. But the consensus among sources was thatprices will be coming down hard today, based on the Nymex screen’sbig downturn Tuesday. In fact, the cash reversal had alreadystarted in Tuesday’s late trading as some pipes dropped as much asa nickel from their heights.

As expected, prices fell Thursday by a nickel to a dime at mostpoints. There was carryover momentum from Wednesday’s late cashsoftness that was pushed along by a drop on the futures screen, amarketer said. A lack of buyers also contributed to the marketweakness, he added. However, he saw Midcontinent prices onPanhandle Eastern, NGPL and ANR rebound to $2.08 after sliding aslow as $2.04 earlier in the day. That and the screen’s afternoonupticks have the marketer looking for upside potential in today’scash trading.

Cash prices continued going up at most points Wednesday, oftenrepeating Tuesday’s gains of between 3 and 9 cents. Butshell-shocked traders were more interested in discussing what onecalled the “precipitous” drop in May futures and its implicationsfor both April and May cash numbers. “I’d bet a lot of people gotcaught with their pants down” by the screen’s plunge, a marketersaid. Several sources said the Nymex drop caused daily cash dealsdone late to fall.