Persistently low natural gas prices and a search for stable cash flows helped drive a large year-over-year increase in power and utilities mergers and acquisitions in 2Q 2013, according to accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers. The value of North American power and utilities M&A deals worth $50 million or more rose sharply year-over-year, reaching $12.5 billion, up… Keep reading →
EOG is bullish about oil this year, but less optimistic about North American natural gas prices, said Board Chairman and former Chief Executive and Mark Papa, speaking during the company’s second-quarter 2013 earnings call. “We consider 2013 to be another in a long string of disappointing years,” said Papa. “We expect gas supply to continue… Keep reading →
A satellite photo of the Earth at night taken 10 years ago with natural gas reserve concentrations superimposed depicts a world where the resources are not located near the major population centers, which are clearly identified as large visible light clusters. Fast-forward a decade and superimpose shale gas resources on current nighttime satellite images and… Keep reading →
As US natural gas production swelled in recent years – largely a result of shale gas development – and prices fell amid burgeoning supply, producers moved rigs to economically greener pastures. In a world of comparatively high oil prices, this meant more liquids rich natural gas resources that produced ethane, butane, propane and pentanes, known… Keep reading →
Natural gas has been gaining global market share from oil for several years, but gas markets remain fragmented and a true global market for natural gas has yet to emerge. The North American shale gas revolution significantly altered gas supply, demand and pricing dynamics in many regions and dramatically changed the situation in Alaska. “Alaska… Keep reading →
Arguments about expensive, exotic renewables are dated If you are among those who still believes that renewables are exotic, expensive, unreliable, intermittent or whatever, you may be fighting a losing battle. With each passing day, renewables are gaining ground, and their shortcomings, most notably intermittency, diffused energy source and low capacity factor, are getting compensated in ingenious ways.… Keep reading →
Ukraine is trying to throw off the Russian natural gas yolk, and finding some success. The former Soviet satellite is importing gas from Germany – though much of it likely originated in Russia – and neighboring countries via reverse-flow pipelines. Importing fewer volumes of Russian gas directly and newfound supply diversity puts Ukraine in a… Keep reading →
As West Texas Intermediate crude prices surge on US fundamentals, geopolitical considerations and infrastructure bottleneck alleviation, the Brent-WTI spread is now razor thin. The US benchmark’s discount to Brent fell to less than $2 per barrel for the first time since 2010 – WTI’s price climbed to 15-month highs – as crude for August delivery… Keep reading →
A lot of “unfortunate” attention was put on the Federal Reserve’s leadership ahead of yesterday’s FOMC meeting following President Obama’s comments that Chairman Ben Bernanke has “already stayed a lot longer than he wanted or he was supposed to.” So while potential candidate names such as Janet Yellen, Timothy Geithner, Christina Romer, Stanley Fischer, Larry… Keep reading →
The future of Alaska’s abundant natural gas reserves has hung in the balance for decades, with much disagreement over how to maximize value for the disparate stakeholders and minimize negative environmental impacts associated with developing the gas. However, the US energy picture has been radically redrawn in recent years, finally putting a potential solution within… Keep reading →
