Warned

With liquefied natural gas (LNG) expected to become a “key piece of the supply picture” in the United States, a Shell executive last Tuesday called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider adjusting quality specifications so that Btu-enriched regasified gas can substitute for conventional dry gas in the transportation system without causing “any appreciable change in burner performance or safety of product.”

With liquefied natural gas (LNG) expected to become a “key piece of the supply picture” in the United States, a Shell executive on Tuesday called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider adjusting quality specifications so that Btu enriched regasified gas can substitute for conventional dry gas in the transportation system without causing “any appreciable change in burner performance or safety of product.”

A senior economist at the DC Public Service Commission (PSC) warned in a special assessment last week that expensive stored gas this summer probably will mean much higher gas prices for consumers this winter. In addition, the summer and the hurricane season may have more surprises in store.

The continental market for natural gas was warned by the National Energy Board (NEB) to brace for an increasingly tight squeeze on the Canadian one-fourth of North American supplies — including the exports that satisfy 15% of demand in the United States.

The continental market for natural gas was warned by the National Energy Board (NEB) to brace for an increasingly tight squeeze on the Canadian one-fourth of North American supplies — including the exports that satisfy 15% of demand in the United States.

Standard and Poor’s Rating Service (S&P) on Thursday warned in a report titled “Risky Business: Selling Retail Electricity in the U.S.” that many retail marketers are in the same boat as wholesalers with significant market risk because of volatile prices and switching customers, operational challenges such as mass billing and collections, and weak credit.

Coming one day after Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned Congress of the gravity of the U.S. natural gas supply shortfall, the Senate on Wednesday passed a bipartisan amendment as part of its broad energy bill that would require the secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) to report to Capitol Hill on the gas market.

The United States “has probably peaked in gas supply,” Matthew R. Simmons of Houston-based Simmons & Co. International warned industry and government representatives last week.

The United States “has probably peaked in gas supply,” Matthew R. Simmons of Houston-based Simmons & Co. International warned industry and government representatives Monday.