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As part of a broad North American search for ways to make western wholesale natural gas markets more competitive, Humboldt Bay in the northern end of California’s 1,000-mile coastline is the unlikely site of a proposed combination electric generating plant and liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal envisioned by San Jose, CA-based Calpine Corp., a major national developer of gas-fired power plants.

Volatility has dwindled in the gas futures market, and traders struggled to find direction Wednesday without much success. The April contract was weak in the morning, strong midday with a daily high of $5.45 just before noon and then weak again in the afternoon ending the day down 6.1 cents at $5.278.

Southern California’s port city of Long Beach is talking to three finalists in its search for a new natural gas supplier for its municipal utility to provide about 10 Bcf annually over a one- to three-year period.

Southern California’s port city of Long Beach is talking to three finalists in its search for a new natural gas supplier for its municipal utility to provide about 10 Bcf annually over a one- to three-year period.

After opening lower in sympathy with lower cash market prices, natural gas futures rebounded Wednesday in reaction to wide price swings in the nearby crude oil pit. Although they finished well beneath their highs for the session, both natural gas and crude oil futures managed gains on the day. January natural gas finished at $5.278, up 3.8 cents for the session and January crude closed at $30.44, up 34 cents.

Doubt still clouds the scale that will be attained, but development of coalbed methane shows signs of beginning in earnest in Canada as natural gas producers seek substitutes for aging conventional supplies.

Doubt still clouds the scale that will be attained, but development of coalbed methane shows signs of beginning in earnest in Canada as natural gas producers seek substitutes for aging conventional supplies.

As mega-marketers crumble, producers and end users in search of a new middleman are increasingly going to regional utilities and small regional marketers, looking for service and people with whom they can build a lasting business relationship. One relatively new start-up filling the bill is National Gas Distributors (NGD), a 16-month-old marketing company operating in the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee.

As mega-marketers crumble, producers and end users in search of a new middleman are increasingly going to regional utilities and small regional marketers, looking for service and people with whom they can build a lasting business relationship. One relatively new start-up filling the bill is National Gas Distributors (NGD), a 16-month-old marketing company operating in the Carolinas, Virginia and Tennessee.