Daily GPI

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. announced yesterday it had retainedMadison Energy Advisors to market a package of its oil and gas assetsin Texas. The properties, located in the Hemphill Field area ofHemphill County, TX, include 83 completions from 70 wells with workinginterests ranging from 5% to 100%. Current gross daily production fromthese properties is approximately 82 BOPD and 8.1 MMcf/d. Anadarko isalso looking to sell the surrounding midstream assets including theHemphill Gathering System, which gathers low-pressure wellhead gas anddelivers it to Williams’ Hobart Ranch Plant. This four to eight inchdiameter pipeline is approximately 50 miles long and currently has 112wells connected. The properties will be sold through a negotiatedsale, with a data room scheduled to open in August. For furtherinformation contact Clint Wetmore at Madison Energy Advisors,281-876-2244 or check Madison’s web page atwww.MadisonEnergy.com.

NOVA returned to its normal +10/-10% tolerance range for dailyimbalances Friday after having changed the range to +2/-18%Wednesday. The two-day change was made in order to reduce linepackto target levels, which was necessary before proceeding withmaintenance on Schrader Creek Compressor Station, NOVA said.

Arguments likely raged all day Friday over whether the gasmarket was overreacting to Tropical Storm Bret or not. But as evena member of the “overhyped” camp reluctantly conceded, there was nodenying that cash prices ignored mild northern market-area weatherand the usual drop in weekend load to achieve gains of up to adime. The smallest showings of flat to only about a nickel highercame at western points, which are more insulated from potentiallosses of Gulf of Mexico production.

For the third morning in a row natural gas futures gapped higherat the open before continuing upward as traders covered shortpositions in anticipation of Tropical Storm Bret becoming the firsthurricane in the 1999 Atlantic season. But after notching a $3.015high shortly after noon, the September contract was hit with a waveof profit-taking that delivered the spot month back down to settleat $2.938. Estimated volume was healthy, with 99,927 contractschanging hands.

The bloody battle over the right to merge with Southwest GasCorp. has recently claimed another victim: Arizona CorporationCommissioner (ACC) Jim Irvin. Federal and state authorities areinvestigating allegations that the state regulator illegallyinfluenced Southwest Gas to go with Oneok Inc. as a merger partnerinstead of rival suitor Southern Union Co.

With just over a year to go before the new Alberta-to-Chicagolink, Alliance Pipeline, goes into service, TransCanada PipeLinesand affiliate Nova Gas Transmission already are feeling the impactof the competition.

Although “storm hype” was a popular phrase in market discussionsThursday, the hype factor was beginning to fade in the afternoon asTropical Storm Bret achieved named status, prompting the Mexicangovernment to post coastal storm warnings from Tampico southward.Some strengthening of Bret is likely over the next 24 hours, theNational Hurricane Center said in a 4 p.m. CDT advisory.

Fueled by the season’s first hurricane hype and gains tacked onduring the Wednesday evening Access trading session, natural gasfutures gapped higher for the second day in a row yesterday asshort-covering and fresh buying created a tempest of bullishtrading activity. That buying pressure continued throughout much ofthe session, allowing the September contract to notch a new high of$2.905 before finishing at $2.898, up 10.6 cents from Wednesday’sclose.

Major gas producers have called for FERC to stay theeffectiveness of its controversial remand decision on Sea RobinPipeline pending rehearing, citing the “enormous impact” that itcould have on offshore production and transportation activities ifit’s implemented prior to being reviewed by FERC.