Prepares

Storage operators aren’t being left behind as the industryprepares for rapid gas demand growth. NGI’s new survey and map ofNorth America’s gas storage operations shows new storage fields andexpansions cropping up all over the continent, and according to anew study by the Gas Research Institute, this is only the beginningof what will be needed as gas demand grows beyond 30 Tcf/year.

Natural gas storage operators aren’t being left behind as theindustry prepares for rapid gas demand growth. NGI’s new survey andmap of North America’s gas storage operations shows new storagefields and expansions cropping up all over the continent, andaccording to a new study by the Gas Research Institute this is onlythe beginning of what will be needed as gas demand grows beyond 30Tcf/year.

While only 11 states can boast of legislation requiringstatewide customer choice for gas service, a group of Michiganlegislators have recently acted to boost that total. A package ofseven bills was introduced to the state legislature last week withthe goal of totally deregulating the state’s gas industry by April2005. Rep. Mary Ann Middaugh (R-MI-MIH080), one of the package’ssponsors and chair of the energy and technology committee, said thepackage will be considered when the Michigan House returns toLansing next month.

As Atlantic Canada’s new natural gas industry prepares to beginproduction and export deliveries Nov. 1, the National Energy Board(NEB) has set out to keep it clear of legal and political feudsdisrupting the region’s fishing community.

Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline (M&NE) declared an openseason for its interconnect with Algonquin’s proposed Hublinepipeline last week, as the entire project enters the final stagesof completion. With impending operation date in November fastapproaching, activity has sparked throughout the Northeast Coast inanticipation.

The first fruit has fallen from the new Canadian tree ofcompetition among natural gas transporters, as TransCanadaPipeLines prepares to auction spare capacity that is developing onits system.

The first fruit has fallen from the new Canadian tree ofcompetition among natural gas transporters, as TransCanadaPipeLines prepares to auction spare capacity that is developing onits system.

A chart gap, created when the one day’s high price is lower thanthe low price of a consecutive trading day is an eye sore to chartwatchers-they don’t like them and they will almost always try tofill them in by trading the market back between the “gap.” So itcame as no surprise when the first order of Friday’s trading wasfor the market to check lower in an attempt to fill in the 2-centgap left between Wednesday’s high of $2.18 and Thursday’s low of$2.20. It never made it. In fact, sellers could barely dent it andmanaged only a $2.195 low, before late buying lifted the promptmonth to just above unchanged Friday afternoon. May finished theweek at $2.226, a 0.1-cent gain for the day.

Avista Power said Tuesday it purchased a 20-acre site inLordsburg, NM from TNP Technologies and plans to put a $70 millionpower plant into service on the acreage by early 2000. The terms ofthe sale were not disclosed. The land contains four oldergenerators, which were in the process of being updated. All permitsand licenses will transfer to Avista Power and the transaction isexpected to close within 60 days.