Pacific Northwest water flows, which can influence summer energy supplies throughout the West, are likely to differ greatly between the northeasterly and southeasterly parts of the four-state and far western Canada region, according to the latest analysis from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC). Below-average steam flows can be expected in the Snake River basin and eastern Oregon in the southern part of the Columbia River Basin, but flows are expected to be near or just slightly below normal in the upper Columbia and main Columbia River this spring and summer. “The highest runoff forecast in the basin can be found in the upper Columbia in British Columbia,” NPCC Manager Jim Ruff told the NPCC board. He also concluded that with an only slightly below-normal snowpack as of April 1, it is likely there will be a good summer runoff at near-normal levels in the main Columbia River this spring-summer season. NPCC’s latest analysis follows the Northwest River Forecast Center predicting that river flows for the first seven months this year will be about 89% of normal, and the fact that they are that high is attributable to much higher-than-normal precipitation last fall (see Daily GPI, April 8).
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Northeast, Midwest Opt Out of Cash Gains; Futures Soar
Physical natural gas prices on average for weekend and Monday delivery added a couple of pennies Friday as gains throughout a majority of the country overcame some losses in the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast. Seesawing weather conditions were expected to result in Monday temperatures slightly to much above normal in the Midwest.
PDC Spotlighting Colorado’s Codell Formation
PDC Energy wells in the Codell formation of Colorado’s Wattenberg Field are outperforming those in the Niobrara, and the independent plans to drill as many Codell horizontal wells as Niobrara horizontals this year, company officials said during an analyst day conference in New York Thursday.
PG&E Gas Operations Rebound, Meet NTSB Goals, Exec Says
With close cooperation with its major unions, a lot of new management expertise and a commitment throughout its company workforce, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s (PG&E) natural gas system has risen from the trauma of the San Bruno pipeline rupture and explosion two and a half years ago, Nick Stavropoulos, PG&E Corp. executive vice president of gas operations, told an energy conference in Houston Tuesday.
Eagle Ford Surge: Tens of Thousands of Jobs, Billions in Revenue
Development of oil and natural gas in the Eagle Ford Shale added more than $61 billion in total economic impact during 2012, according to a study by the Center for Community and Business Research in The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Institute for Economic Development.
Cline Shale Spurs Pipeline Capacity Restart
As producers’ interest in the Permian Basin’s Cline Shale oil play continues to grow, Occidental Petroleum Corp. unit Centurion Pipeline LP is reactivating and expanding an existing pipeline system overlying the Cline, the company said.
Another Colorado City Nears Drilling, Fracking Ban
Elected officials in Ft. Collins, CO, the university town about 57 miles north of Denver, have passed a ban on oil and natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) within the city limits. The measure still must pass on a second reading in early March.
Cold Surge Will Pressure Northeastern Physical Gas Prices Into Next Week
Surging winter cold and constrained pipeline throughput throughout the Northeast teamed up this week to send northeastern natural gas cash prices into the stratosphere, and if projections from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) hold up, there may be no relief until the middle of next week.
EIA: Shale ‘Central’ to Earlier Transition to NatGas Exports
Citing the onslaught of shale gas volumes, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) Wednesday projected that dry natural gas production will increase significantly throughout 2040, outpacing domestic consumption by 2020 and spurring net exports of natural gas sooner than the agency had expected.
Industry Brief
Natural gas vehicles (NGV) are finding growing demand throughout North America, including Mexico, according to presentations at the recent NGV Global 2012 conference in Mexico City. Tepeapulco, Mexico-based Dina Camiones said it has an order for 50 compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled intercity-suburban route buses that would be built in 2013 for use in the Guadalajara area. With a range of more than 500 miles, the buses include 8.9-liter ISL G engines from Cummins Westport and advanced carbon fiber-on-aluminum CNG fuel cylinders from Luxfer.
