Stronger

Buoyed by stronger cash market values and bullish speculationahead of the latest AGA storage report, natural gas futures clawedtheir way off early morning lows yesterday as buyers added to theirsummer long positions. However, that buying pressure was all fornaught because prices came cascading back down late in the session,leaving the April contract with a 4.3-cent loss for the day. Theprompt month settled at $5.236.

TECO Energy’s Power Services subsidiary (TPS) has secured a muchstronger foothold in the wholesale generation market by buying astake in two huge gas-fired merchant power plants being developedby Panda Energy International and by announcing plans to build a$1.2 billion, 850 MW unit adjacent to Citgo Petroleum Corp.’s oilrefinery in Lake Charles, LA.

TECO Energy’s Power Services subsidiary (TPS) has secured a muchstronger foothold in the wholesale generation market by buying astake in two huge gas-fired merchant power plants being developedby Panda Energy International. The companies announced a jointventure yesterday on the plants, which will be located in ElDorado, AR, and in Gila Bend, AZ, and will have a combined capacityto produce 4,600 MW of power. They are projected to cost $2.3billion to build. Teco’s equity committment is $960 million.

Despite an impressive bounce Thursday afternoon and strongerover-the-counter trades Friday morning, natural gas futures werehit with a second day of losses Friday as locals deposited themarket lower after finding an intermediate layer of resistance at$4.16. The July and August contracts moved lower in lockstep, eachshedding 2.1 cents to finish the week at $4.043 and $4.022respectively. Estimated volume was 82,698.

By agreeing last week to sell the stock of its retail marketingarm to Enron Energy Services Operations Inc. for $85 million,PG&E National Energy Group not only trimmed non-profitableassets from its portfolio, but perpetuated an industry-wide trendof major companies exiting the retail arena.

Despite a positive open and stronger cash prices, natural gasfutures slumped into the weekend as traders surveyed the prospectof more bearish news this next week in a market that many feel isalready overvalued. After opening at $2.81 the prompt contract wasunable to muster much in the way of upward momentum, and that setthe tone for a choppy, range-bound trading session. April finisheddown 1.2 cents at $2.774. Estimated volume confirmed the lacklustertrading, as only 43,848 contracts changed hands.

Taking a cue from stronger cash market prices, the futuresmarket continued higher yesterday as buyers pressed prices throughseveral key resistance levels. After gapping higher on the open at$2.55, the January contract moved mostly sideways before checkinglower to fill in the gap late in the morning. However, from thereit was all gravy for bulls, who bid the prompt month up 7.6 centsto its $2.585 close.

While wellhead prices will be 40% stronger than last winter,high levels of storage and gas imports will keep them under $3 forthe better part of the heating season, the Energy InformationAdministration said in its October Short-Term Energy Outlook. Thereport was published last week.

While wellhead prices will be 40% stronger than last winter,high levels of storage and gas imports will keep them under $3 forthe better part of the heating season, the Energy InformationAdministration said in its October Short-Term Energy Outlook. Thereport was published yesterday.