Forecast & Analysis

Utilities Sector Looking Vulnerable for Further Weakness

--Dow Utilities falls below 50-day moving average, suggesting further losses in the days ahead --The index is vulnerable to a decline of a little more than 4% to its 200-day MA --Some technicians see the utility sector's underperformance as a long-term positive for the broad market ... Full Story

'Key Reversal' Warns Of More Weakness For Nikkei and U.S.

--'Key reversal' pattern in Japan's Nikkei could kick off short-term correction --Short-term support sits 5.4% below current levels; key long-term support 9.2% below --Similar 'key reversal' in S&P 500 warns of further short-term weakness in U.S... Full Story

Pipelines' Struggles Drive Trend to Oil by Rail

By Nathan VanderKlippe and Guy Dixon Of THE GLOBE AND MAIL CALGARY and TORONTO (Globe and Mail)--Canadian and Asian energy companies have begun looking to move oil to the West Coast by rail as new pipeline projects struggle against broad opposition... Full Story

Oil Manipulation Inquiry Shows EU’s Hammer After Libor

By Asjylyn Loder, Stephanie Bodoni & Rupert Rowling - May 23, 2013 Statoil ASA (STL) sold a tanker of Norwegian crude valued at about $63 million to BP Plc (BP/LN) on May 9... Full Story

Energy-Rich Colorado Becomes Setting for Fracking Fight

By Jennifer Oldham & Jim Snyder - May 22, 2013 Stan Dempsey, an oil and gas lobbyist, raced from one committee hearing to another in Colorado’s statehouse this spring, defending the industry against an onslaught of bills... Full Story

Oil Revolt Generates $35 Billion as Icahn-Singer Agitate

By Bradley Olson & Edward Klump - May 23, 2013 Apache Corp. (APA) isn’t waiting for Carl Icahn to tell the energy company how to reverse a two-year decline that’s erased $14 billion from its market value... Full Story

Top News Stories

Egypt Still in Talks for Fuel Deals to Ease Shortage-Oil Minister

By Summer Said Egypt is still talking with some Arab oil and gas producers to secure fuel supplies to ease its shortages, Egypt's new oil minister Sherif Haddara said Thursday, after local media reports suggested the deals are collapsing... Full Story

Texas Farmers Lose Another Bid to Block Keystone Pipeline

By Laurel Brubaker Calkins - May 23, 2013 TransCanada Corp. (TRP) won another of the remaining Texas state-court challenges by landowners trying to block construction of the Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline across their property... Full Story

OPEC Oil Shipments to Fall 100,000 B/D in 4 Weeks to June 8

By Sarah Kent Seaborne oil shipments from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will fall by 100,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to June 8, compared with the previous four-week period, U.K.-based tanker tracker Oil Movements said Thursday... Full Story

House Passes Keystone Bill as White House Vows Veto

By Jim Snyder - May 22, 2013 The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, the eighth time congressional Republicans have advanced a measure promoting the project... Full Story

Oil-Price Assessors Review Methods on Regulators’ Concern

By Lananh Nguyen - May 23, 2013 Energy price-reporting organizations including Platts said they ordered independent reviews of their methods after calls by regulators last year to safeguard against market manipulation. Platts, the unit of McGraw Hill Financial Inc... Full Story

Utility CEOs Slam EU Energy Policy

By Jan Hromadko FRANKFURT--The chief executives of eight leading energy utilities Wednesday criticized European Union political leaders over the bloc's energy policy, calling for a more favorable market environment to encourage investment and ensure supply... Full Story

Financial

Natural Gas Climbs to Three-Week High on Inventory Data

--Natural-gas futures settle at three-week high --U.S... Full Story

Crude-Oil Futures Settle Three Cents Lower at $94.25/Barrel

--Crude rebounds more than $2 a barrel from low as equities recover --Pre-holiday weekend covering cuts crude loss, lifts gasoline --China demand growth, high U.S... Full Story

Natural Gas Futures Turn Higher After EIA Data

By Dan Strumpf NEW YORK--Natural gas futures rose higher after the government reported a below-average increase in U.S. gas stockpiles, amid brisk demand for the fuel used to generate electricity. Natural gas for June delivery recently rose 1.9 cents, or 0.5%, to $4... Full Story

Crude-Oil Futures Down on China, Japan Data, Fed Concerns

-- Manufacturing slows in China, world's no... Full Story

Natural Gas Futures Inch Lower, But Hot Temperatures to Boost Demand

--Natural gas futures recede, snapping three-session rally --EIA to report 89-bcf storage injection: analysts --Hot temperatures seen in coming weeks By Dan Strumpf NEW YORK--Natural gas futures inched back from a two-week high Wednesday, following a steep rally driven by... Full Story

Oil Drops as Gasoline Stocks Rise, Fed Weighs Winding Down of Stimulus

--Crude falls 2% as gasoline stockpiles rise ahead of Memorial Day --Signs Fed may wind down stimulus also sparks price drop --Nymex crude settles $1.90 lower at $94.28 a barrel By Jerry A... Full Story

Releases

Marathon Oil: Bid to Sell Alberta Oil Sands Stake Fails

By Alison Sider Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO) said its plan to sell a stake in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project in Alberta, Canada, fell through without a deal being reached... Full Story

Occidental CEO Discussed Potential Sale of Overseas Assets, Spinoff-Analysts

By Tom Fowler Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) may consider selling its overseas assets or splitting into three separate companies in order to fund a stock buyback and improve its share price, Chief Executive Steve Chazen told investors this week... Full Story

Kinder Morgan at NAPTP Conference: Merging MLPs Possible

By Dimitra DeFotis Kinder Morgan, the largest pipeline operator and third largest energy company in North America, said it might eventually simplify its rather complex gaggle of companies including master limited partnerships... Full Story

Marathon Oil: Talks to Sell 20% Alberta Oil Sands Stake Fall Through

By Saabira Chaudhuri Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO) said discussions to sell its 20% outside-operated stake in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project in Alberta, Canada, were unsuccessful and talks with a prospective buyer have been terminated... Full Story

Canadian Natural Resources to Raise C$400 Mln From 2020 Bond Issue

By Ben Dummett TORONTO--Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNQ) aims to raise a minimum of 400 million Canadian dollars ($385.7 million) from an offering of bonds maturing in August 2020, according to a person familiar with the issue. The issue has yet to be priced... Full Story

Refinery Status: Exxon Reported Pipe Leak at Baton Rouge Refinery

The following table lists planned and unplanned production outages at U.S. refineries as reported by Dow Jones Newswires. The information is compiled from both official and unofficial refining sources and does not purport to be a comprehensive list... Full Story

Weather

NOAA: Forecasts Active to Extremely-Active 2013 Hurricane Season

By Angel Gonzalez The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday that the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season will be more intense than average. NOAA is forecasting an "active or extremely active" storm season beginning June 1 and ending Nov. 30... Full Story

NOAA Sees Above-Normal Summer Temperatures for Much of U.S.

NEW YORK--Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected across much of the U.S. this summer, government forecasters said Thursday in a forecast for June through August... Full Story

NOAA Doesn't Expect El Nino, La Nina Conditions in Coming Months

By David Bird NEW YORK--U.S. government forecasters said Thursday they don't expect El Nino or La Nina weather conditions to develop through late summer in the Northern Hemisphere... Full Story