Together

Natural gas futures on Tuesday strung together their fourth consecutive day of gains as the April contract rose 5.3 cents to close at $4.347. The gains continued despite dominant bearish fundamentals, but one trader was quick to note that the “futures market is not called the current market.”

A top official involved in ocean policy reform Tuesday called on President Obama and Congress to work together to set up an ocean investment fund — largely to be funded by revenues from oil and natural gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) — that would provide financial support for maintaining and managing the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.

Plans to combine northern Alberta and British Columbia (BC) into a natural gas common market are coming together on schedule, thanks to simultaneous regulatory and industry decisions.

Plans to combine northern Alberta and British Columbia (BC) into a natural gas common market are coming together on schedule, thanks to simultaneous regulatory and industry decisions.

A previously divided cash market came together for an impressive show of unity Tuesday as NGPL’s TexOk zone was the only point to show a decline (a little less than a dime). Prices were flat to higher in the rest of the market, deriving support from the previous day’s increase of 13.7 cents by October futures and further indications that ongoing outages of significant amounts of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) supplies are having more of a price impact as they continue to accumulate.

House Democratic leaders are trying to hobble together a broad energy bill that satisfies both the pro-drilling and environmental factions of the House. Details of the measure are expected to be unveiled toward the end of the week, as Democrats and Republicans sharpen their rhetoric in preparation for a fierce battle over the issue of offshore oil and natural gas drilling.

Government desire to erase a political black mark and the efforts of a consumer champion have come together to open a natural gas can of worms in Alberta. The coincidence has spawned a regulatory case to answer a tricky question: Who should pay the freight for delivering gas to the “core market” of residential, commercial and public service users such as hospitals and schools?

Government desire to erase a political black mark and the efforts of a consumer champion have come together to open a natural gas can of worms in Alberta. The coincidence has spawned a regulatory case to answer a tricky question: Who should pay the freight for delivering gas to the “core market” of residential, commercial and public service users such as hospitals and schools?

Putting together the second consecutive regular session of gains, natural gas futures traders on Tuesday once again discarded a mound of bearish fundamentals in exchange for changing weather forecasts, which are now calling for February to be not as warm as first expected. March natural gas futures recorded a high of $8.005 before closing out the day at $7.942, up 7.3 cents from Monday’s finish.