Weak

Hess Corp. said Monday it plans to sell its oil terminal network in the United States and close its refinery at Port Reading, NJ, part of its strategy to completely exit the refining business and transform into an exploration and production (E&P) company focused on unconventional assets.

Composite natural gas liquids (NGL) prices will remain weak through this year, averaging 74 cents/gallon and bottoming during the second quarter at an average of 68 cents/gallon, Raymond James & Associates Inc. said Monday.

Cash prices on average skidded about another dime overall on Friday as surging prices at a couple of points in the Northeast couldn’t balance an overall weak tenor to an oversupplied market. Midwest points slipped less than a dime, but Gulf and eastern points suffered double digit losses. At the close of trading January futures had made it five straight losses in a row for the week and settled at $3.314, down 3.3 cents and February lost 3.1 cents to $3.358. January crude oil added 84 cents to $86.73.

Cash natural gas fell 11 cents overall on average Wednesday as the screen continued weak and there was no hint that winter weather would be enough to make a significant dent in storage. Northeast points were particularly hard hit but the Midcontinent and East weakened as well. At the close of trading January futures had fallen3.0 cents to $3.382 and February had dropped 2.9 cents to $3.412. January crude oil added 98 cents to $86.77/bbl.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) Zone 4 cash basis will remain weak for a while, although it will see an uplift of about 50 cents at the end of the year when the pipeline’s Northeast Supply Diversification project and National Fuel’s Northern Access expansion come online, Bentek Energy LLC said in a recent market note.

Rebounding from a weak finish to the previous week, a majority of physical natural gas points around the country on Monday moved higher from a nickel to nearly 15 cents. The cash market might be able to keep the upward momentum rolling for another day if traders are swayed by the futures action Monday, which saw September gas climb 5.7 cents to close the regular session at $2.776.

Fitch Ratings on Wednesday cut its U.S. natural gas price deck for 2012, with the base case Henry Hub (HH) price at $2.75/Mcf, on weak pricing and the prospects of an ongoing oversupply in the domestic markets.

Australia’s BHP Billiton Ltd. took a $2.84 billion pre-tax charge against the value of dry gas assets in the Fayetteville Shale that it acquired just last year due to weak natural gas prices and oversupply. Further, the company’s once-touted Petrohawk Energy Corp., also bought last year, so far this year has been a loss-maker.

Australia’s BHP Billiton Ltd. is taking a US$2.84 billion pre-tax charge against the value of dry gas assets in the Fayetteville Shale that it acquired just last year due to weak natural gas prices and oversupply.