Surge

Energy executives seem to be feeling more confident about the future, evidenced in recent surveys and sealed by the surge in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity since late 2009.

Energy executives seem to be feeling more confident about the future, evidenced in recent surveys and sealed by the surge in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity since late 2009.

Energy executives seem to be feeling more confident about the future, evidenced in recent surveys and sealed by the surge in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity since late 2009.

Prices were up by generally small amounts at most points Monday as seasonal winter weather was returning to most of the East. The previous Friday’s surge of 20.4 cents by futures and the return of industrial load from its usual weekend hiatus also helped to boost the cash market.

Prices were up by generally small amounts at most points Monday as seasonal winter weather was returning to most of the East. The previous Friday’s surge of 20.4 cents by futures and the return of industrial load from its usual weekend hiatus also helped to boost the cash market.

Natural gas price gaps among different North American regions are narrowing as the recent surge of major pipeline expansions has opened bottlenecks and leveled the supply playing field. Sources indicated that some spreads will grow again when heating season arrives, but for the foreseeable future near-parity numbers will remain the general norm across the North American spot market.

Natural gas price gaps among different North American regions are narrowing as the recent surge of major pipeline expansions has opened bottlenecks and leveled the supply playing field. Sources indicated that some spreads will grow again when heating season arrives, but for the foreseeable future near-parity numbers will remain the general norm across the North American spot market.

Further price increases occurred at virtually all points Tuesday. The previous day’s September futures surge of 37.8 cents was considered chiefly responsible for the cash strength. However, modest warming trends in sections of the South, along with continued above-normal temperatures in the Northeast and scorching readings from Texas-Oklahoma through the desert Southwest, contributed a substantive amount of cooling load to overall gas demand.

Recording their fourth consecutive close lower on Tuesday on a streak of follow-through selling, July natural gas futures dismissed the surge of strength in the neighboring crude futures arena to close at $3.879, down 5.4 cents from Monday’s finish.