Spurred

The 50 largest U.S. oil and natural gas producers reported afive-fold increase in net profits during 1999, spurred byescalating oil and gas prices and lower operating costs, accordingto a new analysis by the energy research firm of John S. HeroldInc.

Higher oil and gas prices spurred industry leaders ExxonMobiland Chevron to large leaps in fourth quarter 1999 earnings over thedepressed 4Q 1998. The two companies reported fourth quarterrealized U.S. natural gas prices up about 50 cents/Mcf over 4Q 1998and the full year average up about 15 cents over 1998. Unocal,Texaco and Conoco also enjoyed significant price appreciationfourth quarter over fourth quarter, although not as much gainyear-to-year.

Higher oil and gas prices spurred industry leaders ExxonMobiland Chevron to large leaps in fourth quarter ’99 earnings over thedepressed 4Q 1998.

Strong and growing interest in LNG importation spurred ColumbiaLNG Corp. to go ahead and buy the other half of the Cove Point LNGLimited Partnership it did not already own from Potomac ElectricPower Co. unregulated subsidiary Potomac Capital Investment Corp.

Spurred by $20-plus/barrel oil prices, robust economic growthand a deep exploratory well blowout that lasted for months,optimism is growing in California’s central valley oil patch inKern County near Bakersfield.

Spurred by $20-plus/barrel oil prices, robust economic growthand a deep-well exploratory blowout that lasted for months,optimism is growing in California’s central valley oil patch inKern County near Bakersfield.

After opening at or near lows for the day, the futures marketrallied higher Thursday, spurred by the confluence of bullishtechnical and fundamental factors. With a 9.1-cent advance, Junebroke through several key resistance levels before eventuallyfinishing at $2.282 for the day. Estimated volume was a healthy76,540.

Spurred on by strong operations that fought through an arduousfourth quarter, Duke Energy posted a 36% increase in annualearnings to $3.41 per share in 1998 from $2.51 per share in 1997,the company announced Wednesday. Duke’s revenues increased to $17.6billion compared to $16.3 billion in 1997. Earnings before interestand taxes (EBIT) rose $540 million from the previous year, reaching$2.65 billion.

In a huge turnaround of the cash market spurred by the arrivalof weather that finally appeared more wintry than springlike,prices were skyrocketing Monday from the abyss into which they hadsunk prior to the weekend. To say that double-digit increasescharacterized trading was a gross understatement when many pointswere rising by 50-60 cents or more.