Stepped

A natural gas producer group and interstate gas pipeline association separately stepped up the pressure on Capitol Hill lawmakers Monday by calling for an expansion of the role of natural gas in climate change legislation.

A natural gas producer group and interstate gas pipeline association separately stepped up the pressure on Capitol Hill lawmakers last week by calling for an expansion of the role of natural gas in climate change legislation. The groups urged lawmakers to encourage greater use of existing gas-fired generation facilities in the legislation, provide incentives for natural gas carbon capture and sequestration projects, and address the recovery of gas pipeline costs to buy emissions allowances.

The Alberta government stepped forward last week and highlighted itself as the biggest single Canadian casualty of the natural gas price slump, with a financial statement confirming that royalties are being gutted.

The Alberta government stepped forward Wednesday and highlighted itself as the biggest single Canadian casualty of the natural gas price slump, with a financial statement confirming that royalties are being gutted.

Houston-based Ultra Petroleum Corp. stepped up production in the second quarter and set a company record, while a focus on controlling costs preserved margins in the ongoing low commodity price environment, the company said last Tuesday.

Houston-based Ultra Petroleum Corp. stepped up production in the second quarter and set a company record, while a focus on controlling costs preserved margins in the ongoing low commodity price environment, the company said Tuesday.

Stepped-up regulation at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is a good thing and Sempra Energy doesn’t see its joint venture energy trading business being adversely affected by whatever emerges from the current regulatory debate, Sempra CEO Don Felsinger and CFO Mark Snell said during an earnings conference call Friday. “It’s probably going to be fine for us,” Snell said.

Stepped-up regulation at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) wouldn’t adversely affect Sempra Energy’s joint energy trading venture, company executives said Friday. “It’s probably going to be fine for us,” CFO Mark Snell said during a quarterly earnings conference call.

California’s natural gas producers stepped up drilling in recent years in response to high commodity prices; however, output has generally remained flat. And holding production at even flat levels will be a challenge, according to a California Energy Commission (CEC) natural gas analyst, given today’s lower commodity prices.