Whopping

The number of domestic natural gas wells drilled during the third quarter of this year rose a whopping 24%, while oil wells drilled climbed at a slower pace — 8%, according to the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Quarterly Well Completion Report.

Natural gas futures spiraled lower into the close Wednesday afternoon, following the announcement that a whopping 102 Bcf was added to underground storage facilities last week. At the close, the prompt June contract was 15.8 cents lower at $4.483, more than 22% percent down from the $5.78 notched a little over a month ago.

After watching the market slip a whopping 10% in a fierce Mondaysell-off, bulls dug in their heels yesterday and were successfulavoiding July’s first sub-$4.00 settlement since June 7. Afterprobing to its $3.96 low on the day, the prompt month received awave of bargain-hunting that lifted it to a $4.107 close, up 4.4cents for the session.

Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission LLC yesterday agreedto pay a whopping civil penalty of nearly $5.1 million as part of astipulation and consent agreement that it signed with the FederalEnergy Regulatory Commission.

Liquefied natural gas imports to the United States continued onthe upswing yesterday with Coral Energy’s announcement it is buyinga whopping 29 Bcf in 11 cargoes FOB from Oman LNG LLC for shipmentin 2000 and 2001. The LNG will be loaded at Oman LNG’s plant atQalhat, Sultanate of Oman, for delivery into CMS Energy Corp.’s CMSTrunkline LNG terminal in Lake Charles, LA. Coral chartered thevessel LNG Arzew from Shell Bermuda (Overseas) Ltd. to carry theLNG. Terms of the agreements were not released. A Coral spokesmansaid no other details were available about the transaction.

Union Pacific Resources Group Inc. said it will take a whopping$760 million after-tax, non-cash charge to fourth quarter earningsfor asset impairment under Financial Accounting Standard 121. UPRalso said its 1999 plans include continuing its cost-reductionprogram and a preliminary capital budget of about $500 million.Excess cash flow of more than $250 million will be used to furthercut debt to keep the company’s $2 billion de-leveraging program ontarget.

Despite $15 oil and the whopping $810 million federal CentralGulf of Mexico lease sale three weeks ago, oil and gas prospectorshad enough shekels remaining to make the Texas General Land Officesale April 7 the largest high bids sale in 22 years and the seventhlargest in the history of the 150-plus-year old agency.