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Houston-based Cheniere Energy Inc., which is attempting to site liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals along the Texas and Louisiana coasts, gained the support of the Texas state Senate this week after legislators passed a unanimous resolution calling for FERC to “expeditiously consider, approve and permit” LNG terminals in the state.

Over the next five years, West Africa is expected to become the leading hub for floating production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) systems, but North America “likely” will be in second place, according to a new report by UK-based energy analysts Douglas-Westwood.

Over the next five years, West Africa is expected to become the leading hub for floating production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) systems, but North America “likely” will be in second place, according to a new report by UK-based energy analysts Douglas-Westwood.

A second West Coast liquefied natural gas (LNG) project has moved forward this week. Privately held Crystal Energy LLC of Houston announced Wednesday that it has signed a preliminary agreement for Alaskan LNG supplies and will be filing an application with U.S. Coast Guard to transform an existing offshore oil platform along the Southern California coast into an LNG receiving terminal.

Using current high natural gas drilling activity as a determining factor, Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) projected in its latest Energy Market Assessment (EMA) that deliverability from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) will be flat to slightly lower through 2005, with production maintained at the current level, which is about 16 Bcf/d (450 million cubic meters).

Using current high natural gas drilling activity as a determining factor, Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) projected in its latest Energy Market Assessment (EMA) that deliverability from the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) will be flat to slightly lower through 2005, with production maintained at the current level, which is about 16 Bcf/d (450 million cubic meters).

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) has published the September natural gas marketer pricing page on its web site in order to give consumers what it said was a true “apples to apples” and total bill comparisons of the differences between marketer rate plan offers. The chart indicates that a bill for a typical variable rate customer in Georgia may vary by more than $15, depending on which marketer is chosen. The price per therm advertised by a marketer “may not give an accurate comparison since some marketers bill certain charges separately while others include them in the per therm rate,” according to the PSC. In addition, monthly customer service charges may vary from $4.75 to $14.75. Georgia law provides that the “price for natural gas billed to a natural gas customer shall not exceed the marketer’s published price effective at the beginning of the consumer’s billing cycle.” Additional information on consumer complaints concerning natural gas marketers may be found on the Gas Marketer Scoreboard at www.psc.state.ga.us/consumer_corner/scorecard.html.

More than 31,690 miles of pipeline are forecast to be installed over the next five years, with the North American and Western European offshore set to dominate the market, according to a study released Friday by Douglas-Westwood Ltd. The UK-based analysts said North America and Western Europe will account for more than 40% of pipe building between 2003-2007.

Another public fueling station for natural gas vehicles (NGV) opened in California last Thursday with help from state and local government agencies and guidance from the local utility. The opening boosts the state’s total NGV fueling sites to 230, 110 of which are open for general public use, according to the Sacramento-based California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition.