Unity

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.

In a call to action for the energy industry Wednesday, KMPG LLP CEO Stephen G. Butler said the “systemic flaws” revealed by Enron Corp.’s bankruptcy have to be fixed, but warned it will take more than just rewriting accounting rules. Speaking at Cambridge Energy Research Associates’ 21st Annual CERAWeek Executive Conference in Houston, Butler suggested several reforms, including replacing required quarterly reports with information in “real time” to offer a more transparent picture of a company’s health.

In a call to action for the energy industry Wednesday, KMPG LLP CEO Stephen G. Butler said the “systemic flaws” revealed by Enron Corp.’s bankruptcy have to be fixed, but warned it will take more than just rewriting accounting rules. Speaking at Cambridge Energy Research Associates’ 21st Annual CERAWeek Executive Conference in Houston, Butler suggested several reforms, including replacing required quarterly reports with information in “real time” to offer a more transparent picture of a company’s health.