Slightly

FERC has raised slightly the annual dollar limit for projects that natural gas pipelines with blanket construction certificates can proceed with on their own this year without having to obtain agency clearance first.

While there are still signs of a slowed economy, for the most part major natural gas infrastructure projects in the West are still on target, albeit on a slightly smaller scale or delayed timetable, according to comments last week from executives for El Paso Natural Gas and Kern River Gas Transmission Co.

While there are still signs of a slowed economy, for the most part major natural gas infrastructure projects in the West are still on target, albeit on a slightly smaller scale or delayed timetable, according to a panel of project representatives who spoke Tuesday at the LDC Gas Forum: West & Rockies conference in Irvine, CA.

Sendout from U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals has increased only slightly during the third quarter over the year-ago period, but Stephen Smith of Stephen Smith Energy Associates is predicting “some increase” in sendout from late summer through October.

Sendout from U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals has increased only slightly during the third quarter over the year-ago period, but Stephen Smith of Stephen Smith Energy Associates is predicting “some increase” in sendout from late summer through October.

The Henry Hub natural gas spot price is expected to rise to $5.48/Mcf in 2010 because of the “current decline in drilling activity and projected growth in consumption next year,” the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook for August.

Natural gas cash market prices across the country on Monday were mostly neutral to slightly down as traders kept a watchful eye on a strengthening tropical wave off the West African coast that could become the first real threat to the United States of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season.

Natural gas storage inventory watchers received news of a slightly larger than expected injection Thursday morning as the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that 66 Bcf was deposited in underground caverns for the week ending July 31. The report created a knee-jerk lower in September natural gas futures values, which went on to close the day’s regular session at $3.743, down 29.9 cents from Wednesday.

September natural gas futures shed slightly less than half of Thursday’s gains Friday as traders mulled not only the fact that natural gas failed to advance with crude oil, but also soft economic data. September futures slipped 9 cents to $3.653 and October retreated 7.9 cents to $3.909. September crude oil added a stout $2.51 to $69.45/bbl, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 17 points to 9,171.