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发帖数: 2605 | 4 An article from tomorrow's WSJ... 19-Jan-12 09:16 pm
Gas Prices Could Rise With Exports
By TENNILLE TRACY
Increased exports of U.S. natural gas could drive up domestic gas prices as
much as 54% in 2018, federal officials said Thursday, in a projection that
could complicate efforts by more than a half-dozen companies hoping to spend
billions of dollars on new export terminals.
The estimate by the Energy Information Administration, which compared gas-
price projections in given years with and without higher exports, appeared
to bolster assertions by U.S. manufacturers that they could face stiffer
prices for natural gas and lose a competitive edge over companies abroad.
"Higher levels of exports would certainly impact the manufacturing recovery
that has been revitalized in the U.S.," said George Biltz, Dow Chemical Co.'
s vice president for energy and climate change. "Exporting too much natural
gas simply exports well-paying U.S. jobs."
Mr. Biltz said Dow Chemical would support a "reasonable amount" of exports—
equal to about 5% of U.S. supplies.
Cheniere Energy Inc., which wants to expand a Louisiana facility to ship out
more than two billion cubic feet of natural gas a day, doubted the
government's findings. Other studies show "quite moderate price impacts,"
Cheniere spokesman Andrew Ware said.
Proponents of natural-gas exports say the overseas demand would spur
domestic exploration and create U.S. jobs.
Natural-gas prices are "at record low levels," Mr. Ware said. "Natural gas
producers are hurting, and they're already planning to pull back on
investments."
The U.S. already exports some natural gas, mostly via pipeline to Canada and
Mexico. A recent wave of export proposals by energy firms seeks to liquefy
gas and ship it overseas in tankers.
U.S. natural-gas prices have fallen below $3 per million British thermal
units, pushed down by swelling production that became possible with the
advent of new drilling technologies. With prices so low, U.S. producers are
eager to reach customers in other parts of the world, such as Japan, that
pay three to four times as much as U.S. users.
Collectively, they want to ship out about 14 billion cubic feet of natural
gas a day, roughly 20% of current U.S. production.
But some lawmakers on Capitol Hill are opposed to increased exports and are
urging the Department of Energy not to issue the required permits. The
department will use the findings released Thursday in making its decision.
The administration is reviewing the export proposals "to ensure they are in
the best interests of American taxpayers," Energy Department spokeswoman Jen
Stutsman said.
In its report, the EIA tried to predict how natural-gas exports will affect
domestic prices, based on a set of assumptions about U.S. consumption and
production.
In one case, where companies move quickly to export relatively large volumes
of natural gas, the price could be 54% higher in 2018 compared with
projections for that year in which exports hadn't increased from current
levels. The increase would be less if gas-production levels were higher or
if companies moved more slowly in starting their exports.
The Industrial Energy Consumers of America, a group representing large
companies that use natural gas, said the Obama administration should start
conducting more detailed analyses of the pending export proposals. At least
one Democrat, Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, called on the administration
to postpone any export permits until the impact could be studied further.
Write to Tennille Tracy at t************[email protected] |
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