Prompted

Futures and cash prices worked lower Wednesday, but physical gas posted sharper losses as forecasts of milder weather prompted cash quotes mostly a dime to 15 cents lower with some spots in the Northeast declining between 20 to 30 cents. At the close of futures trading March had shed 2.4 cents to $2.448 and April had softened 3 cents to $2.598. March crude oil added 30 cents to $98.71/bbl.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has fined Talisman Energy USA Inc. $51,478 for a well control incident that prompted the company to shut down all North American hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) operations in early 2011.

New Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules have prompted Corona Power LLC to switch most of the coal-burning generation at its 400 MW Sunbury generation facility in Shamokin Dam, PA, to gas-fired generation.

Trends toward milder temperatures prompted price declines at a large majority of points Friday. The bearish weekend impact of reduced industrial load was heightened by the Christmas holiday being taken off Monday.

Prompted in large part by the recent discovery of significant shale gas deposits in the country’s north and east, Mexico will invest $10.4 billion to build more than 2,800 miles of natural gas pipelines and local distribution networks by 2018, a nearly 40% increase compared with the country’s current pipeline network, President Felipe Calderon said.

December natural gas fell Monday as pervasive forecasts of near-term warming prompted traders to follow the course of funds and managed accounts and market bulls were kept on the defensive. At the close December had fallen 8.7 cents to $3.696 and January had dropped 8.9 cents to $3.803. December crude oil gained $1.26 to $95.52/bbl.

Southwestern Resources Canada, a Southwestern Energy Co. (SWN) subsidiary, has decided to halt seismic testing in New Brunswick earlier than expected to protect its workers after a wave of thefts, vandalism and protests in the province by opponents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

New Brunswick officials are standing firm in their opposition to a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the province, even as protesters against the practice in the emerging Frederick Brook Shale stage bold acts of civil disobedience.

Quicksilver Resources Inc. set another production record in the second quarter and rebounded from a 1Q2011 net loss with net income of $109 million (61 cents/share) in 2Q2011. Production in the Barnett Shale, which has been a primary driver of the company’s recent growth, is expected to ramp up through at least the end of the year.