The October contract began its reign as the prompt month byfollowing in the footsteps of the freshly expired Septembercontract, and in doing so, added to the declines that have markedthe futures market since the downtrend began on April 8th. Thatleft October down 5.2 cents to $1.664 on Friday, capping a 31.7cent decline for the week.
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Upward Price Trend Slows, Expected to Reverse
Cash prices started out Tuesday playing catch-up with the Nymexscreen’s late increases on Monday, but wound up either flat or withsmall gains after futures reversed field. Only supply-constrainedSumas managed an increase of more than about 4 cents, and numberswere down a few cents on some Rockies pipes and at NorthernCalifornia market points.
Rockies Gas Coming Into Its Own
Over the next decade as the Rocky Mountain is saved byincreasing pipeline transportation, the trend of reserve growth inrecent years will finally pay off in dramatic production increases,Fred Julander, past chairman of the Colorado Oil & Gas Assoc.told the group’s annual meeting.
Increases Range From Small to About a Dime
A modest nudge from the futures screen and a warming trend inmajor market areas that had been unseasonably cool in recent dayswere enough to generate an overall upturn in cash prices Tuesday.The increases ranged from negligible to just over a dime in somecases.
Late Bidweek Softness Continues Into Aftermarket
The softening trend that developed about halfway through bidweekcarried over to the fledgling August aftermarket. In swing dealsdone Friday for the weekend, quotes at nearly all points were downseveral cents from index levels and often near the bottom end ofbidweek ranges.
Coastal Avoids 2Q Pitfalls, Posts Record Earnings
Coastal Corp. was able to buck the trend of poor second quarterearnings by improving refining margins, increasing its gasproduction 22% to 526 MMcf/d and raising its crude oil andcondensate production by 50% to18,063 b/d. The company reportedsecond quarter earnings of $94.6 million, or 43 cents per share, up23% (on a per share basis) from 2Q97 earnings of $79.3 million, 35cents/share.
Weather, Cash Prices Buoy Futures
Natural gas futures looked poised to continue to trend lowerlast Friday amid abundant physical supply and having justreestablished the downtrend that began on April 8th. However,weather forecasts calling for the warmest temperatures of thesummer and solid “bargain buying” in the cash market was enough tolift August 3.3 cents to settle at $2.165.
Devon Energy Plans to Acquire Canada’s Northstar
The trend of Canadian producer acquisitions by U.S. companiescontinued Tuesday with the announcement that Devon Energy Corp.agreed to acquire Canada’s Northstar Energy Corp. and create anevenly balanced oil and gas producer with 53% of its reserves inthe U.S. and 47% in Canada.
Convergence Becomes Law of the Land
Convergence of gas and electricity is no longer a trend on thehorizon but rather the law of the land. Anyone doubting this needonly look at who the big players are in both commodities, notedKenneth D. Rice, CEO of Enron Capital & Trade Resources (ECT).
Price Upticks Recover Tuesday’s Lost Ground
Despite Tuesday’s overall price losses, the rising trend astrading progressed carried over into Wednesday and resulted inmoderate to strong rebounds. Increases mostly were in the range of5-10 cents and tended to cancel out the Tuesday declines.