It looks like a stupor-inducingly dull day in the market. I survived Christmas, though my Aunt's dog, Sidney, did not. In fact, it died at my house yesterday afternoon. Sidney was a very old dog, a good dog, and very loved, and will be missed very much.brbrEarlier in the day, we had fun. Along with presents, tons of food, and good friends, we played games. It's something of a tradition at my house.brbrMy team won this one: A href=http://www.amazon.com/Cranium-101010000-100E/dp/B00000DMBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=toys-and-gamesamp;qid=1230299863amp;sr=1-1strongCranium/strong/A. I highly recommend it, especially for competitive families who like screaming at each other in a mix of outrage and glee.brbrLater, I lost this one: A href=http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-4098395-Carcassonne/dp/B00005UNAX/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8amp;s=toys-and-gamesamp;qid=1230299958amp;sr=1-1strongCarcassone./strong/A Doesn't matter -- it's a great game, and I'll win it another time. I bought A href=http://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Sports-Cards-Carcassone-Expansion/dp/B0009K6T2E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8amp;s=toys-and-gamesamp;qid=1230300041amp;sr=1-2strongCarcassone: Princessamp;Dragon Expansion /strong/Aas a gift for Cindy. She squealed with delight to find that under the tree.brbrHere's what I'm reading today (and so very little of it ...

After remaining essentially flat for almost 9 years (1998-2006), natural gas production in the Lower 48 started trending up last year and really accelerated this year. Production increased around 5.5% in 2007 and remains on track to grow in excess of 9% in 2008.

What has been driving this growth spurt? And, given the economy's cloudy outlook and continued credit-market turmoil, can this production growth momentum be sustained going forward?

Favorable prices prompted increased natural gas drilling, with the total onshore rig count making a new all-time high this year. Also, technological improvements enabled the industry to economically develop resources that could not be cost effectively developed in the past. At the forefront of the technological improvement has been the widespread use of 'horizontal' drilling (as against the conventional vertical drilling) to develop the so-called unconventional resources. Horizontal drilling rigs now account for approximately 28% of the total rig count,

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EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG) is a major independent oil and gas exploration and production company, with operations in the U.S., Canada, offshore Trinidad, and the U.K. North Sea. The company has historically concentrated on natural gas in preference to exploring for oil.EOG's third-quarter earnings of $588.3 million were up sharply from the year-earlier level, driven by increased volumes and improved commodity-price realizations, partly offset by higher costs. Domestic natural gas production grew 20%, while liquids volumes rose 65% over last year. With robust growth from most of its core areas, EOG remains on track to increase production by 15% this year and approximately 12% in 2009. With $886 million in cash and a net debt to total capitalization ratio of 10%, the company is in a strong financial position to face the current downturn in the energy sector. We maintain our Buy ...

When people ask me if I think crude oil is going to $50 or $150, I nod sagely and say: “Yes, probably.” I’m not being flip. I’m simply giving both the short-term and the long-term timeframes. Short-term, crude oil is probably heading lower, even though it’s nearly 60% off its highs. The last chance to hold the line on oil prices was at OPEC’s emergency meeting. And the oil cartel choked like a cat on a hairball. They cut 1.5 million barrels per day of production when they needed to cut about 3 million barrels per day. The OPEC meeting was the last obstacle in the way of deflationary forces that are driving oil prices lower in the short-term. Long-term, there are forces that should drive oil much higher. And one of ...

In the energy market Thursday, crude for November delivery pushed higher, closing at $108.02/barrel, up $2.29. October reformulated gasoline rose 10.3 cents, to $2.6973/gallon.

In the energy market Thursday, crude for November delivery pushed higher, closing at $108.02/barrel, up $2.29. October reformulated gasoline rose 10.3 cents, to $2.6973/gallon.

Gulf Western Petroleum Corporation (GWPC.OB) is a Houston-based company capitalizing on domestic sources of natural gas and oil. The exploration and development company actively seeks domestic opportunities to maximize growth and returns for its stakeholders. With a number of projects and lease holdings in Texas, Kansas, and Kentucky, Gulf Western works to leverage its core competencies to strengthen its presence in the energy sector.

Gulf Western holds about 5,600 acres of property in Kentucky. Exploration for oil and natural gas supplies in the Appalachian Basin are being performed at the Baxter Bledsoe and the Bell Prospects. Gulf Western owns a 100% working interest in the 2,200 acres at Baxter Bledsoe Prospect located in Clay County, Kentucky. The company also owns a 100% working interest on the 3,400 acres at the Bell Prospect located in Bell County, Kentucky. There is a potential to acquire an additional 5000 acres of coal bed

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American Oil & Gas Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Commencing operations in January of 2003, the company lists on the American Stock Exchange. They engage in the exploration, development, and production of hydrocarbon reserves, mainly in the Rocky Mountain region.

American currently owns interests in three core project areas: Douglas-Fetter, Goliath, and Krejci. Drilling is underway in all three of these areas, which represent company-acquired interests in more than 500,000 gross acres. These three projects are in areas where there is historical evidence of the existence of hydrocarbons.

The company’s Douglas acreage Fetter Prospect is in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. The company is currently focusing on drilling three to eight additional wells in this area before 2008 ends. These wells will be within six miles of a natural gas processing plant, which means they will be wells that generate revenues quickly.

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Oil got a big boost today thanks to the government bailout plan.  But what number should we watch?  I'd say keep your eye on overhead resistance at 102.89.  If oil can close above that in the next couple trading sessions, we can go higher. Otherwise, we're looking at a trip back to 90 or even strong support at 87.Here are some stories to keep in mind ...Gasoline Supply May Fall `Substantially,' Energy Official Says (Bloomberg) -- The Energy Department's Sept. 24 inventory report may show that U.S. gasoline supplies fell 8.5 million barrels from a four-decade low as Texas refineries assess damage from Hurricane Ike, a department official said.

``Probably the max is an 8.5 million draw in gasoline because demand is down, and it could be as low as 6.5 million'' barrels, John Duff, survey manager for the Energy Department's

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Oil got a big boost today thanks to the government bailout plan.  But what number should we watch?  I'd say keep your eye on overhead resistance at 102.89.  If oil can close above that in the next couple trading sessions, we can go higher. Otherwise, we're looking at a trip back to 90 or even strong support at 87.Here are some stories to keep in mind ...Gasoline Supply May Fall `Substantially,' Energy Official Says (Bloomberg) -- The Energy Department's Sept. 24 inventory report may show that U.S. gasoline supplies fell 8.5 million barrels from a four-decade low as Texas refineries assess damage from Hurricane Ike, a department official said.

``Probably the max is an 8.5 million draw in gasoline because demand is down, and it could be as low as 6.5 million'' barrels, John Duff, survey manager for the Energy Department's

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