Prices

As sources had predicted a day earlier, the downturn in cashprices got even steeper Thursday, primarily due to the big futuresdrop on the previous afternoon and what was considered by many tobe a rather bearish storage report. A gradual warming trend inseveral regions was not strong enough to prompt significant newcooling load for gas.

The 50 largest U.S. oil and natural gas producers reported afive-fold increase in net profits during 1999, spurred byescalating oil and gas prices and lower operating costs, accordingto a new analysis by the energy research firm of John S. HeroldInc.

After months of being bedeviled by high oil prices, the WhiteHouse has turned its attention to developing an interagency workinggroup to coordinate government’s efforts to help industry achieve a30 Tcf natural gas market by the 2010-2015 period.

After months of zeroing in on high oil prices, the White Househas turned its attention to developing an interagency working groupthat will coordinate government’s efforts to help industry achievea 30 Tcf natural gas market by the 2010-2015 period.

With little to no change in influences from Monday, cash pricessaw little reason for change themselves Tuesday. The result was agenerally flat market, but small declines outweighed the fewup-ticks.

The cash market arrested the slide that had been developingTuesday by coming to a near-standstill in price movement Wednesday.Only a few points ranged any further than a penny or so to eitherside of flat.

Although you couldn’t tell from rapidly depleting gas storagelevels or lofty gas prices, this winter turned out to be thewarmest on record for the United States, according to a report bythe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And it was thethird winter in a row in which record warmth cooked the UnitedStates.

Nearly all points continued to slide a few more cents Thursday,but afternoon rallies by three key April futures contracts (naturalgas, crude oil and heating oil) had many traders believing thatwould spark a rebound in the gas market today.

Enron launched EnronCredit.com, a global online creditdepartment to provide live credit prices and enablebusiness-to-business customers to hedge credit exposure instantlyvia the Internet. EnronCredit.com helps businesses evaluate thecredit quality of their customers in real time and, beginning March8, will allow them to transact in bankruptcy swaps via Enron’sglobal Internet-based transaction system, EnronOnline.