Shifting

With public sentiment shifting in favor of repealing the ban on drilling in the federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to deal with record gasoline prices and the highest sustained natural gas prices ever, the issue took center stage in Washington, DC, and on the campaign trail last week.

After coasting for a year, western Canadian natural gas drilling is shifting back into gear and producers are starting to accelerate activity, field contractors reported.

After coasting for a year, western Canadian natural gas drilling is shifting back into gear and producers are starting to accelerate activity, field contractors reported.

Up to 25% of U.S. manufacturers are considering shifting their domestic operations offshore if rising chemical costs — as well as rising costs for natural gas, a feedstock important to many — are not controlled, according to a report by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

Up to 25% of U.S. manufacturers are considering shifting their domestic operations offshore if rising chemical costs — as well as rising costs for natural gas, a feedstock important to many — are not controlled, according to a report by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

Shifting from the current system of voluntary reporting of fixed-price trades to published indexes to a mandatory reporting system could significantly reduce market liquidity, would be costly and could undo the improvement in the price indexes that has occurred over the past couple of years, natural gas producer, industrial consumer and pipeline groups told FERC Friday.

Shifting from the current system of voluntary reporting of fixed-price trades to published indexes to a mandatory reporting system could significantly reduce market liquidity, would be costly and could undo the improvement in the price indexes that has occurred over the past couple of years, natural gas producer, industrial consumer and pipeline groups told FERC Friday.

Domestic natural gas supply in the United States is shifting to unconventional resources, but few realize the significant market, political and environmental implications of that shift, said Questar Corp. CEO Keith Rattie in a presentation at GasMart in Denver Thursday. Drilling shales, coalbeds and tight sands requires many more wells, greater attention to environmental mitigation and $5-7/MMBtu threshold gas prices, he said.

Transition problems inherent is shifting Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power utility operations from Xcel Energy to Black Hills Corp. have now been resolved, the Wyoming Public Service Commission indicated last Tuesday in accepting a report resulting from a three-month commission investigation. Problems developed after the sale was completed last January, but concerns about utility billing practices and other issues have now been put to rest, the PSC reported indicated.