Daily GPI

The “buy Canadian” bug reached Fort Worth, TX-based QuicksilverResources yesterday as it announced the purchase of controllinginterest in Alberta-based MGV Energy. No terms of the transactionwere disclosed. MGV currently produces 1.2 MMcf/d and has 5 Bcf ofproven producing reserves. The move gives Quicksilver, whichproduces over 50 MMcf/d from developments in Montana, Michigan,Wyoming and Texas, a Canadian presence. “This is the first of manysteps we will undertake in Canada,” said Porter Farrell, aQuicksilver spokesman. “We’ve been very aggressive in establishinga core area up there and are intent on growing it.”

After warning shippers Wednesday that one was possible, FloridaGas Transmission issued an Overage Alert Day notice for Thursday’sgas day due to high market-area demand. The notice has a 6%tolerance for daily negative imbalances and covers the system eastof Station 12 (Santa Rosa County in the Florida Panhandle). Thepipeline will re-evaluate conditions this morning before decidingwhether to extend the notice.

Wednesday’s suspicions that a weeklong run-up in cash prices,which hesitated only on Monday before starting to climb again, wascoming to an end proved well founded Thursday. A sharply droppingscreen, the continued lack of any significant storm threat toproduction and mild weather in the major market areas of theMidwest and Northeast combined to pull down eastern quotes byamounts on either side of a dime. Declines tended to be smaller inthe West, ranging from flat at a few Rockies points to as much as 8cents in the Northern California market.

Feeding off Wednesday’s weakness and reflecting fading concernsthat any of the three tropical systems would reach the gas-richGulf of Mexico, the futures market tumbled lower yesterday as bothcommercial and speculative traders exited long positions. Theresultant price slide left the September contract just penniesabove its $2.90 low for the week and turned several bulls intoshort-term bears. The prompt month finished 8.2 cents lower at$2.948 shortly after notching a $2.93 low late in the session.

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP will provide pipelinetransportation services for Aux Sable Liquid Products LP in theChicago area for liquids from Alliance Pipeline. Aux Sable isconstructing natural gas liquids (NGL) extraction and fractionationfacilities in Channahon, IL, about two miles east of KinderMorgan’s Morris, IL, liquids pipeline, storage and truck loadingfacility. Aux Sable’s facilities will initially process up to 1.6Bcf/d from Alliance and remove from the gas stream up to 40,000barrels of ethane, 19,000 barrels of propane, 8,000 barrels ofbutane (both normal butane and isobutane) and 3,000 barrels ofnatural gasoline. The facilities are targeted for completion byOct. 1, 2000.

Oneok Inc., the successful bidder for Southwest Gas Corp., threwdown the gauntlet earlier this week, challenging losing bidderSouthern Union (SU) to present evidence by today to support itsallegations that Oneok conspired to illegally influence SouthwestGas in its choice of merger partner.

The first fruit has fallen from the new Canadian tree ofcompetition among natural gas transporters, as TransCanadaPipeLines prepares to auction spare capacity that is developing onits system.

Capstone Turbine Corp., developer and manufacturer ofmicroturbine power generators, says it has successfully tested a 30kW unit that can be used at the wellhead to generate power usingsour gas.

Adding to late session advances made in both regular and Accesstrading sessions Tuesday, natural gas futures pressed higheryesterday morning as local traders bid the market to fresh highs.However, once above the $3.10 level, the buying dried up openingthe opportunity for an aggressive sell-off that ushered the promptmonth lower in the afternoon. The September contract slipped 2.9cents to $3.03 after notching a $2.995 low.