Woes

If politicians expect clean-burning natural gas to relieve their coal-fired power generation emissions woes, they need to give gas producers greater access to lands on which they can drill, the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA) said last week.

If politicians expect clean-burning natural gas to relieve their coal-fired power generation emissions woes, they need to give gas producers greater access to lands on which they can drill, said the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA).

As his own state creeps toward allowing drilling off its shores, Sen. Frank Wagner (R-VA) called the nation’s energy woes a “winning issue” for politicians seeking to curry favor with voters.

As his own state creeps toward allowing drilling off its shores, Sen. Frank Wagner (R-VA) called the nation’s energy woes a “winning issue” for politicians seeking to curry favor with voters.

Much has been made of the promise of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for curing the nation’s gas supply woes. By most, LNG is seen as vital for meeting growing domestic gas demand in the face of declining domestic production.

The U.S. pipeline sector is trending toward a negative outlook because of liquidity, increasing regulations and changing party counter risks, a Fitch Ratings Oil & Gas group analyst said Tuesday. “First and foremost,” said analyst Hugh Welton, the energy merchant-owned domestic pipelines are weighed down by the “negative overhang of liquidity issues at the parent company level.”

The U.S. pipeline sector is trending toward a negative outlook because of liquidity, increasing regulations and changing party counter risks, a Fitch Ratings Oil & Gas group analyst said Tuesday. “First and foremost,” said analyst Hugh Welton, the energy merchant-owned domestic pipelines are weighed down by the “negative overhang of liquidity issues at the parent company level.”

An economic reality of the energy sector’s ongoing woes is that companies with cash and creditworthiness will be buying the assets of troubled companies who have been forced to sell to restore their tattered balance sheets. San Diego-based Sempra Energy’s CEO said his company will be among the buyers.

As several parent companies of the top natural gas pipelines face severe credit and liquidity problems, this could put a major crimp in future plans to bolster the nation’s energy infrastructure, both for gas and electricity, FERC Chairman Pat Wood told Congress Wednesday during a hearing examining energy infrastructure issues.