Solidifying

Solidifying the general belief that this summer is expected to be warmer than normal for a majority of the country, Andover, MA-based WSI Corp.’s June-August forecast released this week called for just that. However, much like AccuWeather’s summer forecast last week (see Daily GPI, May 18), WSI sees the real heat waiting to make an appearance during the middle of the season, which could put upward pressure on natural gas and power demand — as well as prices.

Atlantic LNG Co. of Trinidad and Tobago said that its $1.3 billion Train 4 liquefaction facility began producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Friday, “solidifying Trinidad’s position as the largest exporter of LNG to the United States.” However, the competition between the U.S. and Spain over LNG cargoes will remain a significant factor in determining how much LNG eventually arrives in U.S. ports.

Continuing to increase its activity in the U.S. and solidifying its position in the Gulf of Mexico, Petrobras America, a subsidiary of Brazilian international energy company Petrobras, is expanding its holdings one lease sale at a time.