Recent

According to a recent survey, one in six U.S. consumers, or 17%,say they can now choose their energy suppliers. However, only 2%have actually changed providers.

The recent sale of 1 million shares of Tom Brown Inc. stock toan undisclosed investor garnered Lakewood, CO-based KN Energy about$29 million in cash and should help the company digest itsacquisition of Kinder Morgan Inc.

In response to a recent court ruling, the Michigan PublicService Commission (PSC) issued a decision this week affirming itsauthority to carry out its 1998 electricity restructuring orders ona voluntary basis with participating utilities.

A continental supply and demand analysis released by TransCanadaPipelines in its most recent Update projects the North American gasmarket will grow to 87 Bcf/d by 2010 from 68 Bcf/d in 1998, a 28%increase, with gains made in every region of the continent.

Thursday’s trading confirmed the signs from Wednesday that therecent bullishness in swing prices had reached a peak. Although afew points were flat to 2-3 cents higher Thursday, the majorityfell by several cents, with the greatest weakness occurring in theMidcontinent/Midwest and Southwest markets. Cash anticipated afutures downswing and beat the screen to the punch by starting tosoften earlier, a Midcontinent marketer said, although Nymextraders eventually wound up the day with a small gain.

The recent agreement between TransCanada PipeLines and theNorthwest Territories (NWT) (See Daily GPI, July 29) makes it plainthat both parties have their sights set on bigger game thanrelatively modest pipeline extensions into the southern part of theTerritories. After lying dormant for a decade, visions are revivingof a route extending all the way to the Mackenzie Delta and theBeaufort Sea to tap an estimated 13 Tcf or more of reserves foundin a 1970s drilling boom.

The recent agreement between TransCanada PipeLines and theNorthwest Territories (NWT) (See NGI, Aug. 2) makes it plain thatboth parties have their sights set on bigger game than relativelymodest pipeline extensions into the southern part of theTerritories. After lying dormant for a decade, visions are revivingof a route extending all the way to the Mackenzie Delta and theBeaufort Sea to tap an estimated 13 Tcf of reserves found in a1970s drilling boom.

While natural gas has captured the lion’s share of the expandingcogeneration market in recent years, “the phenomenal growth of[cogeneration in] the past was a one-time event resulting from aunique combination of regulatory and market changes,” according tothe Gas Research Institute’s Marie Lihn.

The recent running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, seems prettytame compared to the stampede developing in the gas market. It wasa more hectic Nymex closing day than usual Wednesday as a mildincrease in the last day of trading August futures was accompaniedby what one source called a “pitiful” little AGA storage injectionreport, Michigan electric utilities appealing a day in advance forenergy conservation, a skyrocketing Access session and higher Julyswing numbers. All in all, it added up to an extremely strongmarket that “there doesn’t seem to be any way of stopping,” a Texasmarketer said.