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As most investors and analysts continue to scratch their respective heads in search of evidence as to why the country’s natural gas storage facilities are continuing to fill at an exceptionally fast pace over the past three months despite falling prices, Fred Schultz, of Raymond James & Associates, thinks the answer might lie in an overlooked indicator, namely nuclear power.

Although not giving up its search for customers in California, Salt Lake City-based Questar Corp.’s oil-to-natural-gas converted pipeline from the Four Corners of New Mexico remains stymied in operating its portion within California under a newly revised “peaking tariff” for Southern California Gas Co., according to Questar officials who have been analyzing the new rate established Aug. 2 by state regulators (see Daily Gas Price Index, Aug. 3). Questar is looking at alternative uses for the California portion of the approved interstate pipeline.

As most investors and analysts continue to scratch their respective heads in search of evidence as to why the country’s natural gas storage facilities continued to fill at an exceptionally fast pace over the past three months with prices falling, Fred Schultz, of Raymond James & Associates, thinks the answer might lie in an overlooked indicator, namely nuclear power.

Two preliminary underground natural gas storage projects in theWest, separated by more than 1,000 miles, are textbook examples ofthe fact that demand and market location alone are only part of thestrategic considerations for making new merchant storageeconomically viable.

Two preliminary underground natural gas storage projects in theWest, separated by more than 1,000 miles, are textbook examples ofthe fact that demand and market location alone are only part of thestrategic considerations for making new merchant storageeconomically viable.

Florida Power & Light announced that it has filed apreliminary action with the Florida Public Service Commission(FPSC) for permission to recover $518 million in excess expense dueto the “skyrocketing cost of oil and natural gas.”

The northern frontier on the eastern side of the continent isstepping up work on adding new supplies to the North Americannatural-gas market, along with promoters of a development andpipeline revival in Alaska and the Northwest Territories.

The northern frontier on the eastern side of the continent isstepping up work on adding new supplies to the North Americannatural-gas market, along with promoters of a development andpipeline revival in Alaska and the Northwest Territories.

The industry’s hunt for natural gas has gone way beyond thesearch for oil and shows no signs of letting up. Gas directeddrilling has held a solid 80% of all U.S. drilling by rotary rigssince mid-July. And last week the number of rotary rigs drillingfor gas leaped to 609 from 579 the week prior, while total rigsrose to 750 from 721, the largest weekly gain since Nov. 28, 1997,according to Baker Hughes. Oil-directed drilling declined duringthe week by one rig to 139.