Volume

As more trading volume swings to the electronic marketplace, Nymex Holdings, parent company of the more than 130-year-old physical energy and metals trading New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), is allegedly in talks with potential suitors to sell itself.

As more trading volume swings to the electronic marketplace, Nymex Holdings, parent company of the more than 130 year-old physical energy and metals trading New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), is allegedly in talks with potential suitors to sell itself.

Houston-based El Paso Corp.’s exploration and production (E&P) subsidiary plans to pump up the volume in some of its key domestic tight gas plays with the $875 million cash purchase of Peoples Energy Production Co. The transaction, which was announced Friday, adds more than 600 proved and probable drilling locations in the ArkLaTex, Texas Gulf Coast, San Juan and Arkoma basins, and in Mississippi.

Houston-based El Paso Corp.’s exploration and production (E&P) subsidiary plans to pump up the volume in some of its key domestic tight gas plays with the $875 million cash purchase of Peoples Energy Production Co.

With low trading volume as traders head for the exits early ahead of the extended holiday weekend, June natural gas futures continued to trade within a tight range Wednesday, ultimately closing at $7.757, down 4.4 cents on the day. The contract, which expires next Tuesday, has dropped 18.7 cents for the week following three consecutive lower closes.

Natural gas futures put in another losing performance Tuesday, much to the delight of the bears, but the activity was on low volume and traders noted little aggressive selling.

Revenue decoupling, which seeks to separate a local distribution company’s (LDC) revenues from the volume of gas it distributes, is only available to gas utilities in nine states, but it’s gaining in popularity and is on the minds of many executives.

Revenue decoupling, which seeks to separate a local distribution company’s (LDC) revenues from the volume of gas it distributes, is only available to gas utilities in nine states, but it’s gaining in popularity and is on the minds of many executives.

Opposing political voices across the river in Washington state are growing in number and volume regarding NorthernStar Natural Gas Co.’s proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal at Bradwood Landing, OR, in the Columbia River, the main economic artery for the Pacific Northwest. Three state legislators joined the chorus last Thursday, and a Feb. 28 U.S. Coast Guard report is being interpreted as classifying the site as “unsuitable.”