Projected

Denbury Resources said it has reduced its projected 2002 development and exploration budget by $25 million (20%) to $95 million to adjust for the loss in potential revenue and cash flow during 2002 from its natural gas hedges with Enron Corp. and for the general decline in commodity prices.

El Paso Corp. said Tuesday it has hedged almost 75% of its projected natural gas production at a Nymex price of $3.85/Mcf ($3.63/MMBtu) for September through December. Next year, about 60% of its production will be hedged at $4.19/Mcf ($3.95/MMBtu), and in 2003, about 35% is hedged at $4.19/Mcf ($3.95/MMBtu).

If the Texas Public Utilities Commission is measuring the projected success of its deregulation program by the pilot program set to begin this summer, officials might wonder if they’re doing something wrong. Electric deregulation takes effect across the state on Jan. 1, but so far, it appears that customers — especially residential ones — are a little wary of how it works and what they will get out of it.

Sonat reported seeing no significant reduction in nominated supply from Thursday’s gas day to the one today. Based on current nominated supply and projected demand, system requirements will exceed storage injection capabilities today, it said. Thus, unless supplies are cut back significantly today, it’s “highly likely” that an OFO Type 6 will be issued for Saturday’s day, Sonat said.

Finding Friday’s customer-specific OFO (see Daily GPI, Sept. 22) insufficient to keep itsprojected linepack from rising well above target levels over theweekend, Pacific Gas & Electric expanded it to a systemwide Stage3 high-linepack OFO for Saturday. The order carried $5/Dth penaltiesfor positive daily imbalances exceeding a 2% tolerance.

Responding to projected shortages in natural gas and oilsupplies, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has announcedproposed new rules to selectively extend deep-water royalty reliefin the Gulf of Mexico past the Nov. 28 expiration of the currentrelief program.

Responding to projected shortages in natural gas and oilsupplies, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has announcedproposed new rules to selectively extend deep-water royalty reliefin the Gulf of Mexico past the Nov. 28 expiration of the currentrelief program.

In the latest of a string of bullish reports for the gasindustry, the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA)recently-published Short-Term Energy Outlook projected prices inthe coming months to be 25% to 30% higher than last winter. It alsosaid that demand, which the EIA said rose by less than 1% in 1999compared to 1998, is poised to grow 4.6% in 2000. The demand jump,which puts the consumption level at 22.4 Tcf, represents anincrease of 1 Tcf over 1999’s consumption levels.

In the latest of a string of bullish reports for the gasindustry, the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Short-TermEnergy Outlook projected prices in the coming months to be 25% to30% higher than last winter. It also said that demand, which theEIA said rose by less than 1% in 1999 compared to 1998, is poisedto grow 4.6% in 2000. The demand jump, which puts the consumptionlevel at 22.4 Tcf, represents an increase of 1 Tcf over 1999’sconsumption levels.