Suggests

If the U.S. government would allow energy companies to drill onmore federal lands in the Rocky Mountain states, natural gasproduction could increase and prices then would fall, according toa report issued last week by the Energy Information Administration(EIA), the U.S. Department of Energy’s statistical agency.

If the U.S. government would allow energy companies to drill on more federal lands in the Rocky Mountain states, natural gas production could increase and prices then would fall, according to a report issued last week by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. Department of Energy’s statistical agency.

Two federal energy officials may have fed information on unpaidoil royalties that they obtained from producers underconfidentiality agreements to a Washington D.C.-based watchdoggroup to use as ammunition against the producers in a”whistle-blower” lawsuit seeking recovery of back royalties inCalifornia. They may also have “steered the Department of Interiortoward a [royalty] policy favorable” to certain parties, accordingto a report by an investigator with the General Accounting Office(GAO) that was released last week.

A peak at some producer year-end results suggests average dailydomestic gas production could be down about 3% 1998 to 1999.

A peak at some of the producer year-end results that have comein suggests that average daily domestic gas production could bedown by as much as 4% 1998 to 1999, although one industry watcherthinks that number seems a little high. “That blows my mind. That’sa huge drop,” said Ron Denhardt, energy services vice president forWEFA Inc.

An April 2 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission suggests the rumored sale of Enron’s controlling interest in Enron Oil &Gas (EOG) could be in the offing. In the filing, Enron confirmed it is pondering a potential sale of its exploration and production arm among other possibilities.

An April 2 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commissionsuggests the rumored sale of Enron’s controlling interest in EnronOil & Gas (EOG) could be in the offing. In the filing, Enronsaid it is pondering EOG’s potential sale among other possibilitiesfor the exploration and production arm of the energy giant.

A statewide poll of voting Texans suggests consumers favor gasover costlier non-conventional energy technologies such as solarand wind. Responding to the ninth annual Texas Interested Citizens(TIC) Statewide Poll, conducted in late September, more than halfthe respondents, 56% said they would not be willing to pay more forelectricity produced by solar and wind power.

The American Gas Association is seeking to get its two cents’worth in on the conduct of affiliated marketers by adopting eightprinciples intended to guide state officials in policymaking. “AGAbelieves that state officials already have ample authority toreview relationships between natural gas utilities and theiraffiliates,” said Miriam Swydan Erickson, AGA senior director ofgovernment relations. “The new AGA principles are intended toassist state regulators considering additional rules.”