Lower Gas Prices News

Refiners from the Midwest United States are fighting for access to a vital Pennsylvania pipeline – a move that could cripple their East Coast competitors and redraw the map for international flows of crude and fuel into coveted coastal markets. The regulatory dispute centers on a proposal by pipeline operator Buckeye Partners’ to that state's Public Utilities Commission. The plan would reverse the flow of fuels on a section of Buckeye’s 350-mile Laurel Pipeline, which currently flows from the East Coast to Pittsburgh. Because pipelines only flow in one direction, the change would effectively block five East Coast refineries from serving Pittsburgh – with Midwest refiners picking up their market share.

Australia's conservative government unveiled a radical plan on Thursday to restrict exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at times when domestic shortages push up local prices, aiming to ease soaring energy costs for local manufacturers. The plan would allow Australia's resources minister to impose controls on LNG exports on advice from the market operator and regulator, as the government seeks to cap domestic gas prices, which have become a political hot potato. "It's not a threat. This will be export controls.

Growth in natural gas demand will slow to an average 1.5 percent a year globally through 2021, as stagnation in Europe and uncertainty about Chinese consumption offsets robust growth in India, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday. After growth of 2.5 percent over the last six years, gas is facing competition from renewable energy and cheap coal, meaning the global gas market will remain over supplied. In Europe, Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom will be challenged by the prospect of a glut of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as export capacity rises 45 percent by 2021, even as demand drops in key markets in Japan and Korea. "Developments are pointing to a period of oversupply," IEA head Fatih Birol said in the agency's annual medium term gas outlook.

Today, Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations bill, H.R. 2029, which includes a provision lifting the existing U.S. crude oil export ban. U.S. oil exports will strengthen America’s national and energy security and result in substantial benefits for consumers and job creation across the country, according to the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA). NOIA noted also that the bill did not include a key priority for the offshore energy industry –statutory language requiring incorporation of industry’s significant concerns in the final Well Control Rule proposed by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) – the…

Traffic is up on BC Ferries over the same period last year, with March showing increases of over 5 per cent for vehicles and nearly 4 per cent for passengers. In March 2015, BC Ferries welcomed an additional 51,937 passengers and 29,861 vehicles compared to March 2014. February was even better with increases of over 10 per cent for passengers and nearly 11 per cent for vehicles. The corporation says the increases, along with high gas prices and a weaker Canadian dollar, will make for good business this summer. Fares were up April 1 by 3.9%, but with a 1% fuel rebate. “These numbers are very positive and we are optimistic we’ll have an outstanding summer for traffic on BC Ferries this year,” BC Ferries president Mike Corrigan said in a statement.

U.S. lawmakers gave a preview on Thursday of a looming fight next year on lifting the ban on crude exports with supporters saying it would sustain the drilling boom and others questioning its impacts on industry and fuel prices. In a House of Representatives hearing on the ban, Texas Republican Joe Barton said exporting oil would boost the economy, lower gas prices, and help give allies alternative oil supplies to Russia. By some measures the United States is the world's top oil producer and Barton said the country should use that power. "When you're number one, you use that status," said Barton, who introduced a short, 1.5 page bill this week to lift the ban Congress passed in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo. The U.S.

Lithuania seeks to cut dependence on Russia; Statoil to supply 0.54 bcm of gas per year. This will cover about 20 pct of Lithuania's demand. Lithuania signed its first liquefied natural gas purchase deal with Norway's Statoil on Thursday, helping the country to reduce its total dependence on Russian supplies. The Baltic state plans to import 0.54 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas from Norway from 2015, enough to meet about one-fifth of its total consumption. The gas will supply a floating LNG terminal, named the "Independence". The total value of the contract is estimated at a little over $1 billion and the LNG price is linked to Britain's National Balancing Point (NBP) gas hub, Lithuanian importer Litgas said.

Statoil's second quarter 2014 net operating income was NOK 32.0 billion, a decrease of NOK 2.3 billion compared to the second quarter of 2013. Adjusted earnings were NOK 32.3 billion. “Statoil delivered solid operational performance in the quarter, with continued high production regularity on the Norwegian continental shelf and project execution according to plan. We have deferred gas production to enhance value, but remain on track for delivering on our production guiding for 2014. Our quarterly earnings were impacted by divestments, seasonal effects and lower gas prices. For the first half of the year, earnings were around the same level as in the same period last year," says Helge Lund, Statoil's president and CEO.

Statoil's second quarter 2014 net operating income was NOK 32 billion, a decrease of NOK 2.3 billion compared to the second quarter of 2013. Adjusted earnings were NOK 32.3 billion. “Statoil delivered solid operational performance in the quarter, with continued high production regularity on the Norwegian continental shelf and project execution according to plan. We have deferred gas production to enhance value, but remain on track for delivering on our production guiding for 2014. "Our quarterly earnings were impacted by divestments, seasonal effects and lower gas prices.

Statoil's (OSE:STL, NYSE:STO) second quarter 2010 net operating income was NOK 26.6 billion, compared to NOK 24.3 billion in the second quarter of 2009. The quarterly result was affected by a 32% increase in liquids prices measured in NOK, a 6% increase in equity production and a 12% decrease in gas prices measured in NOK. Also impairments, loss on derivatives and a provision for an onerous contract influenced net operating income. Adjusted earnings in the second quarter 2010 were NOK 36.4 billion, up 25% from second quarter 2009 when adjusted earnings were NOK 29.2 billion. Net income in the second quarter of 2010 was NOK 3.1 billion.