Sides

Beset on all sides by negative influences — weather, futures and storage — it was little wonder that prices continued to fall at most points Tuesday. Thanks to the popularity of year-end vacations between Christmas and New Year’s Day, trading activity was light.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Atlantic Canada will pay off on both the supplier and buyer sides of the East Coast market, says a study of the industry’s emerging new dimension. Increased gas flows are forecast to reduce pipeline tolls and improve the economics of East Coast production developments as well as stabilize the supply outlook for the U.S. Atlantic seaboard.

Natural gas will continue to flow on El Paso Natural Gas pipeline facilities that are located on Navajo Nation lands even if the two sides fail to renew a rights-of-way (ROW) contract by the Oct. 17 expiration deadline, said the Navajo Nation attorney general.

Brokers of natural gas futures are on both sides of the debate when it comes to talk of FERC ordering owners and operators of gas storage facilities to electronically post their storage inventory levels from the prior day. Historically the American Gas Association (AGA), and more recently the Energy Information Administration (EIA), has aggregated a sample of storage data for an entire week and reported it on the following Thursday.

Brokers of natural gas futures are on both sides of the debate when it comes to talk of FERC ordering owners and operators of gas storage facilities to electronically post their storage inventory levels from the prior day. Historically the American Gas Association (AGA), and more recently the Energy Information Administration (EIA), has aggregated a sample of storage data for an entire week and reported it on the following Thursday.

Although both sides are refusing to give any details, settlement talks between California and San Diego-based Sempra Energy are ongoing and could encompass claims that collectively represent $1-2 billion. A spokesman for state Attorney General Bill Lockyer confirmed Tuesday that talks are taking place but he would not characterize their current status.

Although both sides are refusing to give any details, settlement talks between California and San Diego-based Sempra Energy are ongoing and could encompass claims that collectively represent $1 to $2 billion, according to a Bloomberg News report Monday following a meeting with Bill Lockyer, California’s attorney general (AG). A state AG spokesman confirmed the accuracy of the report Tuesday, although he would not characterize the status of the talks or their current stage.

Re-creating the natural gas market through direct producer-consumer connections is going to be difficult for both sides, as they incorporate into their planning the functions once performed by the middle-man trading sector. In addition to price, the term and the credit arrangements tied to a supply contract are key factors a gas buyer needs to consider when negotiating, according to representatives of industrials and local distribution companies (LDCs) who spoke Wednesday at the LDC Forum in Chicago sponsored by Interchange Energy.

Re-creating the natural gas market through direct producer-consumer connections is going to be difficult for both sides, as they incorporate into their planning the functions once performed by the middle-man trading sector. In addition to price, the term and the credit arrangements tied to a supply contract are key factors a gas buyer needs to consider when negotiating, according to representatives of industrials and LDCs who spoke Wednesday at the LDC Forum in Chicago sponsored by Interchange Energy.