Shift

The gas industry’s share of the U.S. energy market is projectedto soar to 35% in 2010 from just 24% in 1996 if the U.S. followsone possible scenario to meet the requirements of the Kyoto Treaty,the Energy Information Administration said in a report to Congress.In contrast, the industry will grab only two percentage points moreof the energy market over that same period without the treaty.

In the aftermath of selling its bulk energy marketing arm,Consolidated Natural Gas (CNG) said it plans to shift its focus toCNG Producing, its New Orleans-based E&P arm, which willsignificantly increase over-all oil and gas production next year asthree key offshore pipeline projects come into operation. Much ofthe increase is expected to come from its production activities inthe Gulf of Mexico.

Consolidated Natural Gas (CNG) blamed thin margins for its exitfrom wholesale marketing and trading to focus on retail. The shiftin strategy comes on the heels of the March announcement CNG willtake a $20 to $25 million loss in Energy Services to close outelectricity positions. The move could herald the beginning of amarketer shakeout, noted one analyst.

A big shift in strategy led Equitable Resources to put some ofits most prized Gulf Coast midstream assets on the auction blocklast week. The company announced it is selling the 1,900-mileLouisiana Interstate Gas pipeline (including a 500 MMcf/dDepartment of Energy oil line it converted to transport naturalgas), the 3.6 Bcf capacity Jefferson Island salt dome storageproject and its gas and power marketing operation. The gasmarketing operation sold 500 Bcf of gas in 1997.