After years of debate and hearings on whether and how torestructure the $200 billion electricity industry, the consensusonce again appears to be – not this year.
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EIA: Warming Trend Will Lower Gas Demand
The EIA said its “Short-Term Energy Outlook” will reflect netreductions in projections for energy demand due to the agency’sadoption of the National Oceanographic and AtmosphericAdministration’s (NOAA) weather premises of a three-decade longwarming trend. The report is set to be published Sept. 7.
FERC’s Breathitt Proposes Limited NOPR
Instead of trying to sift through all the issues relating to theshort-term and long-term transportation markets, Commissioner LindaBreathitt proposed that FERC first issue a limited rulemakingaddressing the less-controversial issues and save the more complexissues for later. “From what I’ve read in the comments [filed atFERC], the approach I am proposing appears to be one that many inthe market could support,” she said in a speech to the American GasAssociation Legal Forum in La Jolla, CA, last week.
Storage Technology May Moot Need for Northeast Pipe Projects
A proprietary storage technology developed by a Houston-basedfirm could “obviate” the need in the short term for some of thepipeline capacity additions that have been proposed to meet thepower generation-fueled growth in gas demand anticipated for theNortheast market, says a company official.
Storage Offered as Capacity Substitute
A proprietary storage technology developed by a Houston-basedfirm could “obviate” the need in the short term for some of thepipeline capacity additions that have been proposed to meet thepower generation-fueled growth in gas demand anticipated for theNortheast market, says a company official.
EOG Chairman Sees 1999 Production Falling Short
Storage overhang isn’t enough to temper the optimism of EnronOil & Gas Chairman Forrest Hoglund when it comes to the outlookfor gas this year and next. With demand expected to grow andproduction expected to fall – 3% according to Hoglund – on softdrilling activity, the coming months are shaping up to be good onesfor producers.
Low Prices, Changing Industry Sink RMOGA
The Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Association (RMOGA) has fallenprey to low commodity prices and industry belt-tightening justshort of its 80th anniversary. The trade group plans to shut itsdoors permanently June 1.
Major Pipe Expansions Too Costly in Short Term
Current and projected economics will not support any of themajor pipeline expansions to the Northeast from the Midwest atleast until 2004, a new study by Energy ERA, a Calgary, AB-basedenergy consulting firm, concludes. The Portland Natural GasTransmission and Maritimes & Northeast pipelines as well as thepipeline expansions currently planned in the Gulf of Mexico will besufficient to meet growing gas demand in the Northeast over thenext few years.
Vector Continues High-Speed Progress
While most of the Vector Pipeline project remains dormant,Vector Pipeline L.P. recently announced an open season forshort-term firm transportation service from its proposedinterconnect with Michigan Consolidated Gas at Belle River, MI, tothe Union Gas Ltd. system at Dawn, ON. The company also said itexpects final regulatory approval for the entire Chicago-to-Dawnproject from both the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB) and theU.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by early April.
Williams Earnings Fall Short in ’98
None of Williams’ three main subsidiaries matched 1997 earningslevels, the company said Thursday, as it announced a total 1998 netincome of $140.7 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, down from$368.3 million, or $0.85 per diluted share in 1997. For the fourthquarter, Williams posted a net loss of $20.2 million or $0.05 perdiluted share versus a net income of $57.5 million or $0.13 perdiluted share in 1997. Company officials blamed poor marketconditions, large accrual and impairment amounts, and disappointingresults in the communications business as reasons for the poorperformance.