Proposition

The growth potential for natural gas as a transportation fuel is a long-term proposition, according to a report released Tuesday by PIRA Energy Group, a New York City-based energy marketing consulting firm.

Exporting liquefied U.S. natural gas to world markets is a “feasible” but “tenuous” proposition, according to analysts at Pan EurAsian Enterprises. If the United States does become a liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, “it is likely to be a supplier at the margins,” they said.

Exporting liquefied U.S. natural gas to world markets is a “feasible” but “tenuous” proposition, according to analysts at Pan EurAsian Enterprises. If the United States does become a liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, “it is likely to be a supplier at the margins,” they said.

Looking to help meet North America’s ever-increasing appetite for natural gas, companies such as El Paso Corp. and Shell have been looking outside the box to find new sources of natural gas, and new methods to deliver it to the continent. El Paso announced that it has finalized LNG agreements with a Norwegian consortium, while Shell has proposed its floating liquefied natural gas technology (FLNG) for Timor Sea production. Shell also announced last week that it will invest in the first LNG export project in Venezuela, which intends to tap 10 Tcf of gas reserves and send them to the U.S. East Coast (see related story).

Williams Gas Pipelines’ Lew Posekany made a proposition lastweek that would make most pipeline customers cringe in disbelief-that FERC in its quest to create a more competitive natural gasmarket should toss out some of the notions of fairness that havebeen woven into its transportation regulations over time.