Ratings

Low gas prices mean residential gas bills will be lower, making them easier to pay by cash-strapped consumers, noted analysts at Fitch Ratings. This should alleviate some risk of rising bad debt expense among gas utilities.

U.S. receipt terminal operators may be buoyed by the Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) announcement last Monday that it was giving an “A” credit rating to the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction facilities in Qatar, which could become an increasingly important supplier to the United States. S&P placed a “stable” outlook on the Qatari government and ExxonMobil joint venture developing LNG processing infrastructure, Ras Laffan LNG Co.

U.S. receipt terminal operators may be buoyed by the Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) announcement Monday that it was giving an “A” credit rating to the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction facilities in Qatar, which could become an increasingly important supplier to the United States. S&P placed a “stable” outlook on the Qatari government and ExxonMobil joint venture developing LNG processing infrastructure, Ras Laffan LNG Co.

While otherwise positive toward a utility bond sale, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services on Friday reiterated its distaste for Sempra Energy’s purchase last year of EnergySouth for its storage plays in the Gulf of Mexico region. It assigned a negative outlook to Sempra utility San Diego Gas and Electric Co.’s (SDG&E) “A+” rated sale of $176.26 million industrial development revenue refunding bonds as fixed-rate instruments to refund bonds sold five years ago.

Despite a negative outlook for the U.S. economy in which a 1.2% decline in gross domestic product (GDP) is projected for 2009, Fitch Ratings sees relative stability ahead for natural gas pipelines.

Despite a negative outlook for the U.S. economy in which a 1.2% decline in gross domestic product (GDP) is projected for 2009, Fitch Ratings sees relative stability ahead for natural gas pipelines.

The financing arm of the municipal electric utility in Roseville, CA, received a negative outlook from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) on a $209.35 million tax-exempt bond to finance a 20-year, 46 Bcf natural gas pre-pay deal with Merrill Lynch & Co. because of recent financial disclosures by Merrill. S&P also gave an “AA-” rating to Roseville Natural Gas Financing Authority, the fuel financing unit of the muni in Roseville, a suburb east of Sacramento. S&P said the rating reflects a recent outlook revision for Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., which provides guarantees to the financing authority’s gas supplier and interest rate swap counterparty. The outlook downgrade followed Merrill’s announcement that it expects to record a material loss in the third quarter caused by a more significant exposure to leveraged loan commitments, subprime mortgages, etc. S&P’s previous outlook assumed less exposure for Merrill. The Roseville gas financing arm is a state-chartered joint powers authority and a nonprofit public financing entity in California. The public financing arm used the proceeds from the $209.35 million to fund prepayment for a long-term gas supply deal from Merrill Lynch Commodities Inc. The gas is set for Roseville’s electric power generation system, priced at a first-of-the-month index from the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. citygate delivery point, minus a specific discount, according to S&P.

The financing arm of the municipal electric utility in Roseville, CA, received a negative outlook from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) on a $209.35 million tax-exempt bond to finance a 20-year, 46 Bcf natural gas pre-pay deal with Merrill Lynch & Co. because of recent financial disclosures by Merrill. S&P also gave an “AA-” rating to Roseville Natural Gas Financing Authority, the fuel financing unit of the muni in Roseville, a suburb east of Sacramento. S&P said the rating reflects a recent outlook revision for Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., which provides guarantees to the financing authority’s gas supplier and interest rate swap counterparty. The outlook downgrade followed Merrill’s announcement that it expects to record a material loss in the third quarter caused by a more significant exposure to leveraged loan commitments, subprime mortgages, etc. S&P’s previous outlook assumed less exposure for Merrill. The Roseville gas financing arm is a state-chartered joint powers authority and a nonprofit public financing entity in California. The public financing arm used the proceeds from the $209.35 million to fund prepayment for a long-term gas supply deal from Merrill Lynch Commodities Inc. The gas is set for Roseville’s electric power generation system, priced at a first-of-the-month index from the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. citygate delivery point, minus a specific discount, according to S&P.

Citigroup lowered its gas producer stock ratings last week because of high natural gas storage levels, current mild temperatures, growing domestic gas production and expectations for more liquefied natural gas imports (LNG). Citigroup producer analyst Gil Lang also cut his first quarter 2007 and second quarter 2007 Henry Hub price forecasts.