Prominent

Two prominent energy industry consultants agreed last Tuesday at GasMart/Power in Reno that fallout from Enron’s bankruptcy probably will include significant reregulation of the energy markets and continued unprecedented financial scrutiny of the energy industry.

Two prominent energy industry consultants agreed Tuesday at GasMart/Power in Reno that fallout from Enron’s bankruptcy probably will include significant reregulation of the energy markets and continued unprecedented financial scrutiny of the energy industry.

Vice President Dick Cheney and 13 other prominent members of the Bush administration have asked a federal court in Washington, DC, to dismiss lawsuits filed by Judicial Watch Inc., a public watchdog group, seeking documents related to the task force that crafted the national energy policy.

The industry picked a good year to fill up the nation’s gas storage fields. This winter could be bitter cold, according to two major weather outlooks released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Salomon Smith Barney Meteorologist Jon Davis. Both forecasts expect the winter to be colder than normal with temperatures similar to last winter on average but with significant swings in temperatures and precipitation.

This winter is likely to be near or among the top 33% of the coldest winters in last 106 years, according to Salomon Smith Barney meteorologist Jon Davis. Based on current weather variables, Davis concludes in his “2001-2002 Winter Outlook” that temperatures this winter should be quite similar to the average temperatures last winter, which ranked 24 on a scale of 1-106 with 1 being the coldest.

Two prominent energy analysts have indicated their concern about some of the natural gas intiatives that FERC is scheduled to act on at its regular meeting this week, with one going as far as to say that the Commission actions may signal the return of regulation for gas.

In a somewhat stunning show of bullishness, natural gas futuresprobed higher yesterday as funds and locals followed the lead ofcommercial buying throughout the last hour of trading. On its firstday in the limelight, the new prompt month, October, received thelargest boost of any contract at Nymex, leaping 15.8 cents higherto close at $4.801. In doing so, it set a new all-time high dailysettlement for a prompt contract.

The revival of interest in Canadian Arctic gas has spawned aproject looking for sponsors and support in the NorthwestTerritories. Harvie Andre, a prominent Calgary engineer-businessmanand former Conservative member of parliament, trekked north tosound out the possibilities at the end of October. It was disclosedin northern communities that Andre was dispatched by aninternational group called Alaska Resources Co., with backers suchas Municipal Energy Resources Corp. of Houston.

The revival of interest in Canadian Arctic gas has spawned aproject looking for sponsors and support in the NorthwestTerritories. Harvie Andre, a prominent Calgary engineer-businessmanand former conservative member of Parliament, trekked north tosound out the possibilities at the end of October. It was disclosedin northern communities that Andre was dispatched by aninternational group called Alaska Resources Co., with backers suchas Municipal Energy Resources Corp. of Houston.