Winter storm knocks out power for more than a million customers

The severe winter storm that began Friday, January 22, and continued through Saturday, January 23, affected energy infrastructure throughout much of the eastern United States. Heavy snowfall, high winds, and ice knocked out power to more than one million customers in states from Arkansas to Massachusetts. According to the U.S. Department of Energy's "Energy Assurance Daily", power had been restored to all but about 3,000 customers as of midafternoon January 26. More »

New pipeline projects increase Northeast natural gas takeaway capacity

A number of recently completed and upcoming natural gas infrastructure projects are expected to increase the reach of natural gas produced in the Marcellus and Utica regions of the Northeastern United States. These projects are intended to transport natural gas from production centers to consuming markets or export terminals. More »

Spread between Henry Hub, Marcellus natural gas prices narrows as pipeline capacity grows

Natural gas spot prices around the United States are often compared to prices at the Henry Hub in Louisiana. At trading points in and around the Marcellus and Utica plays in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, natural gas prices consistently trade below the Henry Hub national benchmark price. However, the difference between these pricing points and the Henry Hub has narrowed in recent months as new pipeline projects come online. More »

Changing contract expiration dates will affect crude oil futures comparisons

A change to the North Sea Brent crude oil futures contract will alter the way prices for Brent futures are compared to futures prices for WTI crude oil. Beginning January 29, the Brent contract will expire, or rollover to the next month, approximately two to three weeks before expiration of the WTI contract for delivery in the same month. Prior to the change, the Brent contract rollover was only five to seven days ahead of the WTI rollover. More »

Natural gas prices expected to rise over next two years

The average natural gas spot price at the benchmark Henry Hub for December 2015 of $1.93 per MMBtu was the lowest monthly average since March 1999. EIA's latest "Short-Term Energy Outlook" expects natural gas prices to rise, averaging $2.65/MMBtu in 2016 and $3.22/MMBtu in 2017. Expected price increases reflect consumption growth, mainly from the industrial sector, that outpaces near-term production growth. More »

Upcoming winter storm may cause problems for East Coast energy infrastructure

An upcoming winter storm has resulted in blizzard watches in major Mid-Atlantic cities, including Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. Nearly 75 million people are in regions expected to be affected by the storm. In addition to record levels of snowfall, affected areas could experience high winds as well as coastal storm surges and flooding in susceptible regions. More »