Volatility

While uncertainty and volatility may lurk just around the corner, for short-term natural gas supplies, demand and prices should remain stable in the water-dominated Pacific Northwest, stakeholders told the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) on Wednesday.

In terms of volatility, the cash market came to a near-standstill Wednesday as gains and losses were approximately even and only a few locations ventured more than a nickel in either direction.

Concerned about volatility of natural gas prices and what that might mean for development of gas resources and wider use of the fuel, major energy producers, consumer groups, environmental organizations and others have formed a task force to examine how to bring more stability to gas markets.

Concerned about volatility of natural gas prices and what that might mean for development of gas resources and wider use of the fuel, major energy producers, consumer groups, environmental organizations and others have formed a task force to examine how to bring more stability to gas markets.

Seemingly unfazed by depressed energy commodity prices and volatility, Sempra Energy senior executives hauled out the superlatives last Tuesday for the company’s joint venture in energy and metals commodity trading, RBS Sempra Commodities, announcing a nearly 100% quarter-over-quarter increase in profits, a new CEO and an integration of its Connecticut-based trading floor into one of North America’s largest operations. Sempra’s leaders made the comments during a first quarter conference call with financial analysts.

Seemingly unfazed by depressed energy commodity prices and volatility, Sempra Energy senior executives hauled out the superlatives Tuesday for its joint venture in energy and metals commodity trading, RBS Sempra Commodities, announcing a nearly 100% quarter-over-quarter increase in profits, a new CEO and an integration of its Connecticut-based trading floor into one of North America’s largest operations. Sempra’s leaders made the comments during a first quarter conference call with financial analysts.

EnCana Corp. is delaying its plans to split into two independent energy companies because of the volatility in the global financial markets.

Fuel costs, particularly the level and volatility of wholesale natural gas prices, cut into robust first quarter results for Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Energy, following record electricity and natural gas retail utility consumption in the winter quarter, the utility reported Tuesday.

Extreme volatility in weather or an active hurricane season could alter their fundamentally bullish outlook, but Raymond James & Associates analysts said last week that tightening supply and demand fundamentals should yield a more bullish summer-ending storage scenario at around 3,100 Bcf, with higher sustainable prices through this year and into 2008.