Alaska Journal of Commerce by Tim Bradner (NGP Photo). With its Arctic drill fleet now assembled in Dutch Harbor, Shell is waiting on unpredictable Mother Nature. Summer ice conditions along the northern Alaska coast are the worst in a 10-year period, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith (NGP Photo-R) said July 9. The heavy ice has caused target dates for the company’s first drilling at two exploration prospects in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas to be pushed into the first week of August, Smith said. “This is the heaviest ice coverage we have seen in a decade,” he said. Investing News, by Carol Fraser. Pipeline stocks have been holding their own despite the bad press. Units of the Alerian MLP Index ETF (NYSE:AMLP), an exchange traded fund that is a good barometer for the industry, are about where they were a year ago. And the two companies at the center of the storm have seen their share prices rise: TransCanada is up 7.7 percent from this time last year, and Enbridge has jumped 31 percent. Pipelines have been attracting a lot of investor attention recently, because they offer an attractive mix of stability and higher-than-average dividend yields, two appealing traits in an era of low interest rates and volatile stock markets. There are two main reasons for this stability. For one, pipeline operators get steady revenue streams from their businesses, often under long-term contracts.
Oil Sands, Gas and Oil Shales Market Guide 2012 – U.S. Alternative Oil and Gas Production Catching up to Canada According to new Report
Today’s Consumer Energy Alliance links:
Reuters: Fire at Keystone’s pipe maker has no impact on pipeline – Pipeline producer Welspun Corp Ltd said on Monday that a weekend fire at its Arkansas plant would not affect shipment of pipe to construct the controversial Keystone oil pipeline. A large number of fire units responded to the fire, according to Little Rock Fire Captain Jason Weaver, because of the size of the structure, but left after it became apparent the fire was under control.
Associated Press: Cheaper gas keeps US consumer prices flat – Consumer prices were unchanged in June, held down by cheaper gas. Outside the volatile food and energy categories, inflation was mild. The Labor Department said Tuesday that gas prices fell in June by a seasonally adjusted 2 percent, the third straight decline. Food prices edged up 0.2 percent after a flat reading in May.
UPI: Tax bill raises questions on Keystone XL – A lower-than-expected tax bill from the original Keystone oil pipeline in Nebraska shows the company behind the project is suspect, an advocacy group said. Nebraska tax records indicate TransCanada for 2012 will pay around $2.2 million to the eight counties traversed by the Keystone oil pipeline. That’s about half of what the company projected.
Politico Pro: The gas-price crisis that wasn’t – Remember the $6 we were all supposed to be paying for a gallon of gasoline about now? It didn’t happen, despite the dramatic predictions from armchair pundits, political candidates and some in the media. “The real truth is no one really knows. There’s so many unknowables,” said Guy Caruso, former head of the U.S. Energy Information Administration under President George W. Bush.
York News Times: No way can Heineman approve Keystone XL now (Editorial) – In any venture there are risks and benefits and in TransCanada’s Keystone XL case, the risk/benefit factor isn’t even close. The fact is the NTSB report said the pipe failed, employees failed and the government failed. In light of the NTSB report, there is no way Gov. Heineman or the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality can possibly sign off on Keystone XL.
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