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El Paso Corp.’s natural gas pipeline unit is strong and growing, and gas production is trending up, but it’s still tough to find enough top quality, talented employees, CEO Doug Foshee said last week.

The natural gas pipeline unit is strong and growing, and gas production is trending up, but it’s still tough to find enough “top quality, very talented employees,” El Paso CEO Doug Foshee said Tuesday.

Demand for natural gas in the Pacific Northwest will remain flat, trending slightly downward from the 2000-2001 wholesale energy market meltdown, but volatility will continue to be an issue for some utilities and their largest customers, according to a preliminary 2007 gas demand outlook from the Northwest Gas Association.

With wholesale natural gas prices trending only one way in the wake of the two Gulf of Mexico hurricanes, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. in San Francisco has established a monthly “Natural Gas Watch” bulletin, and its latest issue Friday cited average retail gas utility bills for its customers in October being up by $17.45/month, compared with October last year. That represents an increase of 70.8%, according to the combination utility.

Average peak load in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) control area is generally averaging 6% higher in 2004 than in 2003, Energy Security Analysis Inc. (ESAI) said in the latest edition of the WECC [Western Electricity Coordinating Council] Energy Watch.

The swing market emerged from the holiday weekend in a decidedly mixed mood. In the East, prices ranged to 15 cents up or down from flat Tuesday, but showed a pronounced bias to the downside. Western points were considerably more bullish, registering moderate gains in most cases but rebounding about a dollar in San Juan Basin and rising 20 cents or more at a few Rockies points.

The U.S. pipeline sector is trending toward a negative outlook because of liquidity, increasing regulations and changing party counter risks, a Fitch Ratings Oil & Gas group analyst said Tuesday. “First and foremost,” said analyst Hugh Welton, the energy merchant-owned domestic pipelines are weighed down by the “negative overhang of liquidity issues at the parent company level.”

The U.S. pipeline sector is trending toward a negative outlook because of liquidity, increasing regulations and changing party counter risks, a Fitch Ratings Oil & Gas group analyst said Tuesday. “First and foremost,” said analyst Hugh Welton, the energy merchant-owned domestic pipelines are weighed down by the “negative overhang of liquidity issues at the parent company level.”

Feeding off strength from Wednesday’s minor advance, the futuresmarket seemed to pick up momentum yesterday. A stronger open gainedapproval from eager bulls, who bid the contract steadily upwardThursday morning. Then after an early afternoon sell-off wasthwarted, prices again pressed higher, but this time buying camefrom all market segments as locals, trade, and paper players joinedthe rally. The April contract finished up 7.6 cents at $1.835.