Proves

Natural gas prices could find some support this winter if the just-released Farmers’ Almanac proves to be as accurate as the previous year’s edition. The 2011 issue paints New England as frigid cold.

Natural gas prices could find some support this winter if the just-released Farmers’ Almanac proves to be as accurate as the previous year’s edition. The 2011 issue paints New England as frigid cold.

If this winter proves neither too cold nor too warm, with overall normal heating degree days (HDDs), natural gas storage should be tighter than last year but still well above 10-year norms, according to energy consultant Stephen Smith. However, he said the notion of being “well above” 10-year norms will offer little comfort to those concerned about high natural gas prices.

For the first time, the Department of Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and an international research team have proven that it is technically feasible to produce natural gas from gas hydrates, the naturally occurring “ice like” combination of natural gas and water that may be more abundant than conventional gas supplies — especially in Arctic regions like the Mackenzie Delta.

New regulations for the derivatives markets will not prevent future corporate failures similar to Enron Corp.’s and in fact might make failures more likely in the future, according to a new report by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), a global trade association representing participants in the privately negotiated derivatives industry, which includes interest rate, currency, commodity, credit and equity swaps, as well as related products.

If regulators wanted further proof of need for additionalpipeline capacity to the Northeast, Independence Pipeline andTranscontinental Gas Pipe Line said they got it last month whendelivered prices in some markets shot up to nearly $20 per Dth.(See NGI, Jan. 24) Citing the January deliverability problem, thetwo pipelines separately asked FERC to deny the requests for a stayof the interim order conditionally approving their Northeastprojects.

If regulators wanted further proof of need for additionalpipeline capacity to the Northeast, Independence Pipeline andTranscontinental Gas Pipe Line said they got it last month whendelivered prices in some markets shot up to nearly $20Dth. Citingthe January deliverability shortage, the two pipelines separatelyasked FERC to deny the requests for a stay of the interim orderconditionally approving their Northeast projects.

After a week of offers, acceptances and counter-offers, Southern Union and Oneok are now waiting to see who is awarded the prize of merging with Southwest Gas. Both companies said they have reached the maximum they can offer. The only winners so far, according to a source close to the situation, have been Southwest Gas’ shareholders, who have seen the price for their shares vault from an original $28.50/share to $33.50/share.