Ramp

After experiencing muted price moves for more than a week, the natural gas futures market tumbled to new three-month lows Thursday as traders digested the latest in a recent string of bearish storage reports. The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly storage report featured a larger-than-expected 37 Bcf storage injection.

Northern Appalachian natural gas production lags considerably behind the ramp up in the Rocky Mountains, but West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise said that he is pushing for his state to one day compete head-to-head with Wyoming. Wise spoke Tuesday in Charleston, WV as keynote for the Conference on Natural Gas from Coal Seams in the Northern Appalachian Basin.

Northern Appalachian natural gas production lags considerably behind the ramp up in the Rocky Mountains, but West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise said that he is pushing for his state to one day compete head-to-head with Wyoming. Wise spoke Tuesday in Charleston, WV as keynote for the Conference on Natural Gas from Coal Seams in the Northern Appalachian Basin.

Adding to the recent flurry of natural gas storage projects headed for Mississippi to serve the Southeast, Petal Gas Storage LLC, a subsidiary of El Paso Energy Partners LP, said Thursday that it is holding a non-binding open season for up to 5 Bcf of firm natural gas storage capacity in order to evaluate market interest in proposed plans to expand its facility in Petal, MS. The capacity is anticipated to be available for use by Jan. 1, 2004.

Continuing to ramp up for a March 1 launch date, Nicor Gas said natural gas marketer participation in its Customer Select program in Illinois is up to 11 suppliers. On March 1 the pilot program becomes permanent and Nicor Gas customers will be able to voluntarily choose their natural gas supplier. Customers who elect not to join the program can stay with Nicor Gas as their supplier.

Continuing to ramp up for a March 1 launch date, Nicor Gas said Wednesday that natural gas marketer participation in its Customer Select® program in Illinois is up to 11 suppliers. On March 1 the pilot program becomes permanent and Nicor Gas customers will be able to voluntarily choose their natural gas supplier. Customers who elect not to join the program can stay with Nicor Gas as their supplier.

Gas production can ramp up to deliver between 1 and 1.5 Bcf/d more supply over the next four years by increasing drilling in conventional areas before any of the proposed long distance imports come on line, leaders of the two most active drilling companies in the United States told a GasMart/Power audience in Tampa, FL, Wednesday.

The power is still off on Texas’ deregulation pilot, which was scheduled to finally begin last Friday after its June 1 ramp-up was shut down in late May (see NGI, May 28). Pilot customers now won’t have service from their new retail electric providers until at least July 20, and maybe even later, according to the Texas Public Utility Commission.

The power is still off on Texas’ deregulation pilot, which was scheduled to finally begin today after its June 1 ramp-up was shut down in late May (see Daily GPI, May 23). Pilot customers now won’t have service from their new retail electric providers until at least July 20, and maybe even later, according to the Texas Public Utility Commission.