Proved

Enron Oil & Gas Co. said it expects 1998 all-sources netproved reserve additions of more than 1.6 Tcfe, resulting in areserve replacement ratio greater than 375%. The company’s 1998production is estimated to be 420 Bcfe, and 1998 average unitfinding cost is anticipated to be below 50 cents/Mcfe. Of thereserves added in 1998, about 800 Bcfe were added in Trinidad,300Bcfe in India and 500 Bcfe in North America.

Cash market predictions proved accurate again as pricescontinued to slide going into the weekend Friday. It didn’t take arocket scientist to make that call, sources said, as forecasts ofgorgeous weather virtually throughout the nation (and north of theborder too) should lower gas load greatly by encouraging a lot ofoutdoor activity.

What was non-strategic to Union Pacific Resources (UPR) provedto be a good fit with core business for Enron Oil and Gas (EOG).UPR sold its 19% non-operated working interest in the MatagordaIsland Block 623 Field and surrounding blocks to Enron Oil and Gasfor $158 million. The deal will close Aug. 31 with an effectivedate of June 1.

Tuesdays are oftentimes a day of small prices changes at the NewYork Mercantile Exchange, and this Tuesday proved to be noexception. The spot August contract settled unchanged at $2.365yesterday, as many traders reportedly remained on the sidelines inanticipation of the next AGA storage report to be released laterthis evening.

$2.40 gas proved to be too much for July on Wednesday, as thespot futures contract fell 5.5 cents to settle the day at $2.336.July opened at $2.41, but that turned out to be its high trade forthe day as sellers were quick to liquidate positions and takeprofits ahead of the contract’s expiration this Friday.

The AGA storage report proved to be an anchor on natural gasfutures prices yet again on Wednesday, as the spot June contractfell 5.2 cents to settle at $2.204. The latest report came in at100 Bcf worth of injections, which increases the surplus versuslast year by 30 Bcf to 403 Bcf. Total estimated volume came in at59,231.

The American Gas Association(AGA) predicts additions to domesticproved gas reserves last year will come out between 96% and 120% ofproduction. “The indication of strong 1997 reserves replacementcomes at a time when long-term natural gas growth is expected toreach 30 Tcf by 2015,” said Chris McGill, director of gas supplyand statistics at AGA. “To meet the requirements of robust growthin gas markets, annual additions to gas reserves through drillingmust also remain strong, balancing new sources of natural gas withdomestic production each year.”

EEX Corp. agreed to sell nearly all of its properties in EastTexas and North Louisiana, containing 250 Bcfe of proved naturalgas reserves, to Cross Timbers Oil Co. for $265 million. Theeffective date of the sale is Jan. 1, 1998 with closing expected inthe second quarter.