Insights
Natural gas Insights
The New Relationship between Empress and Intra-Alberta Gas Prices
November 2011
Natural gas prices at Empress are now at a discount to AECO prices, representing a reversal in the relationship during the last year. The reason for the discount lies in the content of the gas. Read more >>
Price Risk a Key Element in Balancing Natural Gas Supply
October 2011
What doesn't get discussed often in organizations is the price risk associated with the disposal of purchased natural gas that is not needed, or the purchase of additional gas should the organization consume more than projected - and yet, it can have a budget impact. Read more >>
System Gas as a Source of Supply for Larger Consumers
October 2011
The price for system supply from Enbridge and Union has been relatively low and stable for the last while, leading larger natural gas consumers to ask whether system supply is a viable alternative for them. Read more >>
TransCanada Files for Services Restructuring and Mainline Tolls
September 2011
TransCanada has filed a business and services restructuring proposal with the National Energy Board. The application also covers Mainline tolls for 2012 and 2013. Read more >>
Demand-Side Management: Role of Natural Gas Utilities
August 2011
With energy conservation and efficiency topics of considerable attention since the Ontario Government's Green Energy Act, Aegent thought it would be interesting to look at how the province's natural gas utilities fit into the picture. Read more >>
TransCanada Mainline Tolls: What's Next?
June 2011
Mainline tolls for TransCanada PipeLines have been interim since the start of 2011. TransCanada has asked the National Energy Board to approve a set of final tolls for the current year, but that request is still under consideration. The application has generated discussion about next steps to address the uncertainty around Mainline tolls for 2011 and beyond. Read more >>
Natural Gas Market's Response to Fukushima
April 2011
Examination of the price behaviour of natural gas futures contracts since the March earthquake in Japan provides insights into how markets respond to these kinds of crises. Market participants seem to be increasingly of the view that gas supply and demand conditions a few years from now will be tighter and prices higher. Read more >>
Life on the Margin: What Generators Need to Know
March 2011
Ontario's natural gas and electricity markets are both complex and volatile. This poses a challenge for operators of natural gas-fired power generation facilties. Whether you are a district energy operator or your institution or industrial operation has embedded generation, your operating economics depend directly on what is happening in the natural gas and electricity markets relative to one another, hour by hour. This is a daunting task. Read more >>
Oil and Natural Gas Prices: How Are They Related?
March 2011
Prices for crude oil and natural gas have diverged since 2009 to the point where the ratio between oil and natural gas near-month prices is about 25 to 1. The recent relationship between oil and natural gas prices reflects important differences in the two commodities. Read more >>
TransCanada's Interim Tolls Proposal Signals Potential for Major Change
January 2011
In December, TransCanada PipeLines filed an application with the National Energy Board seeking approval of interim tolls for its Canadian Mainline and its Alberta system. The NEB did not approve the specific tolls proposed for the Mainline, deciding instead to make the 2010 tolls interim as of January 1. Although TransCanada's preferred option for interim tolls was rejected, the filing signals the potential for major change in the way Mainline tolls are determined. Read more >>