Succeed

Is it better to stick with what you know or strike out and look for something better? Independent producers can succeed with either strategy, as W&T Offshore Inc. and Newfield Exploration Co. have demonstrated.

When you can lock in nearly three-quarters of your production at $9.43/MMBtu, that’s a pretty good deal, particularly when a mere three years ago you hedged 39% of your production at an average of $4.33/Mcf. Chesapeake Energy Corp. over the past month increased its hedge position, locking in an average Nymex price of $9.49/MMBtu for 721 Bcf of natural gas production over the next three years.

FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher has named John S. Moot to be the Commission’s General Counsel, effective Sept. 12. Moot will succeed Cynthia Marlette who has been appointed to a new position in which she will oversee the agency’s implementation of requirements under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Moot comes to FERC from the Washington, DC law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he has practiced since 1992 and been a partner for six years. Prior to that, he was an associate attorney at the law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand. Moot has represented publicly owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, wholesale power companies, state regulatory commissions and merchant generators. He received his law degree from American University Washington College of Law in 1988, and his bachelor of arts degree from St. Lawrence University in 1983.

NiSource Inc. announced last week that effective July 1, current president Robert C. Skaggs Jr. will take over as CEO. Skaggs will succeed Gary L. Neale, who will retire in June but who will continue to serve as chairman.

NiSource Inc. announced Tuesday that effective July 1, current president Robert C. Skaggs Jr. will take over as CEO. Skaggs will succeed Gary L. Neale, who will retire in June but who will continue to serve as chairman.

Borrowing from the old adage “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again,” EnCana Corp. has teamed up with Calgary-based independent Marauder Resources East Coast Inc. to explore and produce natural gas offshore Nova Scotia.

Borrowing from the old adage “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again,” EnCana Corp. has teamed up with Calgary-based independent Marauder Resources East Coast Inc. to explore and produce natural gas offshore Nova Scotia.

Borrowing from the old adage “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again,” EnCana Corp. has teamed up with Calgary-based independent Marauder Resources East Coast Inc. to explore and produce natural gas offshore Nova Scotia.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” could have been the natural gas futures market’s motto over the past few days during which it attempted several times to break below the psychological $7.00 level. It finally paid off Thursday as December natural gas futures settled 41 cents lower at $6.873.