Monthly Archives: March 2009

Chris McGill Natural Gas Market Indicators

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Chris McGill | Comments Off


090331ngmi Natural Gas Market Indicators

Spot prices for natural gas at Henry Hub in March first firmed, then fell again below $4 per MMBtu. Basic market fundamentals have not changed dramatically, however, and many analysts believe the summer balancing point for the unit price of gas could be even lower. A key to the short-term (less than one year forward) natural gas market will be demand recovery; that is, how soon does the economy recover and how quickly do large volume users of natural gas return to normal consumption levels – or whether they do at all?

Visit this link to download the full Natural Gas Market Indicator. Topics covered include: Reported Prices, Weather, Working Gas in Underground Storage, Natural Gas Production, Rig Counts, Pipeline Imports and Exports, and LNG Markets.

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Tom Moskitis Interior Secretary Stands on Middle Ground

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Tom Moskitis | Comments Off


Speaking here at AGA today at a meeting of the Natural Gas Council, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar took a decidedly middle of the road approach to energy production on federal lands.

img 5511corrected Interior Secretary Stands on Middle Ground

AGA president and CEO Dave Parker, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and AGA chairman and chairman, president and chief executive officer of Piedmont Natural Gas Tom Skains.

He indicated that the environmental community may be unhappy with him because he believes that our country will continue to depend upon and use fossil fuel energy for years to come, and that his department will lease more areas for oil and gas exploration and production, not less.

That said, he also indicated that energy companies may not be happy with him either as many areas will remain closed or tightly restricted. He expects continuing disagreement over public land use. Before moving forward to lease areas for energy development, he said, more information is needed, particularly on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) where available data is decades old.

The series of four OCS field hearings scheduled for next month, which the Secretary will personally attend, are designed to gather information from stakeholders and will help guide the Interior Department’s planning. More information is available here.

Secretary Salazar had good things to say about natural gas, acknowledging its efficiency, especially when used directly by the consumer, its cleanliness and abundant domestic supply. Salazar says that the Obama Administration knows that natural gas is part of the solution, but he wondered aloud about whether those in Congress or the general public know this and said that we need to do a better job of telling our story. Of this there is little disagreement.

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Lauren Blosse A compelling letter to President Obama about energy-related shortfalls in the economic stimulus package

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Lauren Blosse | Comments Off


jeffweb A compelling letter to President Obama about energy related shortfalls in the economic stimulus packageOur friend Jeff Share, editor of the always-stellar Pipeline and Gas Journal, has in his March column written a compelling letter to President Obama about energy-related shortfalls in the economic stimulus package.

In his powerful plea, he asks the president to give natural gas its due as an integral part of a secure energy future for the U.S.  He’s certainly done his homework.  See for yourself here, and let us know what you think.

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Dan Gibson Tom Skains at the Natural Gas Roundtable

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Dan Gibson | Comments Off


skainstomweb Tom Skains at the Natural Gas RoundtableTom “the big blogger” Skains is going to be at the Natural Gas Roundtable luncheon on March 31st. Tom is the AGA chairman and chairman, president and CEO of Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc. I’ve met Tom a few times and he seems like a good guy. More importantly for your purposes, he knows how to give a great presentation so I’m looking forward to seeing him at the Roundtable luncheon. And, of course, I’m not just saying that because he’s my chairman icon smile Tom Skains at the Natural Gas Roundtable

Every year, the incoming chairman to AGA gets to pick a theme for the year. Tom chose “Natural Gas: America’s Responsible Energy Choice.” What he means by that is the direct use of natural gas in America’s homes and businesses is its most efficient, most environmentally friendly and most cost effective use. By increasing the direct use of natural gas our country can be a leader in the fight against climate change, while helping to restore our economy’s vitality and saving consumers many millions of dollars.

The Natural Gas Roundtable has been around for more than 40 years and has served as the pre-eminent forum in Washington, D.C. for leaders in the natural gas field from government and industry.  Over the years the Roundtable has brought a host of leading speakers including cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, FERC Commissioners, corporate CEOs, and others together. Ella Proctor has been running the Natural Gas Roundtable for some time and does a great job making sure everything runs smoothly. Ella is one of my favorite people at AGA so be sure to say “Hello” when you’re picking up your name badge.

I think we’re pretty much at capacity for the event, but if you’d like to attend, leave me a comment below. I’ll talk to Ella to see if we can find a spot for you.

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