Success

The Exploration Company (TXCO) is on a roll in Southwest Texaswith another high producer, its ninth consecutive successfulnatural gas well in the Prickly Pear (Glen Rose) Field west of SanAntonio, near the Mexican border.

Using new technology to increase transport speed from thewellhead to the pipeline, Mobil Exploration & Producing U.S.Inc. said it recently commenced selling gas from the newly streamedMobile 822 No. 6 well, in the Gulf of Mexico. The company said theprocess, which took 369 days, was its fastest drill-to-salesoperation to date in the Mobile Bay.

Using new technology to increase transport speed from thewellhead to the pipeline, Mobil Exploration & Producing U.S.Inc. said it recently commenced selling gas from the newly streamedMobile 822 No. 6 well, in the Gulf of Mexico. The company said theprocess, which took 369 days, was its fastest drill-to-salesoperation to date in the Mobile Bay.

Due to its success in the race for Georgia gas customers,Georgia Natural Gas Services (GNGS) announced Monday it will open anew call center in Cobb County to help answer newly-acquiredcustomers’ questions. The Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) affiliate has wonover one-third of the 839,000 total switches, second only to ScanaCorp.’s 40% market share.

MichCon officials announced a successful beginning to its pilotprogram yesterday, with 70,000 of their 75,000 eligible customerschoosing a newly introduced competing supplier in the first year ofa three-year program. Stephen E. Ewing, the president of theMichigan gas utility, said the results prove customer choiceprograms can work for the entire state.

With a stunning drilling success Chevron Canada Resources Ltd.has delivered a sharp reminder to skeptics about the natural gaspower north of the U.S. border.

With a stunning drilling success Chevron Canada Resources Ltd.has delivered a sharp reminder to skeptics about the natural gasresources north of the U.S. border.

Amoco announced a gas discovery in the Cotton Valley Reef Trendnorth of Houston. The company said it expects to bring its No. 1 J.W. Vanderbeek on production this month. Amoco holds a strongposition in the Cotton Valley Reef Trend, with drilling rights inmore than 100,000 acres, primarily in Leon County. Amoco has acontract with Koch Midstream Services to use their pipelines in thearea to gather the gas for treatment and delivery to marketsthroughout the Texas Gulf Coast region.

The primary factor contributing to energy trading room successis information, which comes before risk management and workplacecultural factors, according to a Saladin survey of energy traders.Traders told Saladin they are using more information and analysisthan they did a year ago. Saladin predicted a year ago thatInternet usage would outpace traders’ predictions, which theinformation provider found to be the case with its latest survey.Also as predicted, there is an increased focus on risk managementand integrated systems. Three-quarters of traders reportedincreased use of the Internet. More than 20% of trading roomsimplemented new risk management systems over the last year, andnearly a third of those surveyed noted advances in sophistication;in implementation of value at risk; and in systems, controls andprocedures.