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January 9, 2012

Energy Data Highlights

Crude oil futures price 1/5/2012: $101.81/bbl up$2.16 from week earlier up$11.51 from year earlier Natural gas futures price 1/5/2012: $2.980/mmBtu down$0.047 from week earlier down$1.493 from year earlier Weekly coal production 12/31/2011: 19.194 million tons down1.097 million tons from week earlier up0.167 million tons from year earlier Natural gas inventories 12/30/2011: 3,472 Bcf down76 Bcf from week earlier up356 Bcf from year earlier Crude oil inventories 12/30/2011: 327.5 mmbbl up3.9 mmbbl from week earlier down11.9 mmbbl from year earlier Natural Gas/ Power News EIA Storage Release 1/5/12 (Actual): -76 Previous Week: -81 Bcf +11.4 % Change from 1 Year Ago +15.2% Change 5-year Average Barnett Shale continues to lose its luster for producers: trade As US gas prices remain in the doldrums, and exploration-and-production companies continue to shift their focus from dry-gas basins to more liquids-rich plays, the venerable Barnett Shale play of northern Texas is continuing to see a drop in gas drilling activity. http://www.platts.com/LatestNewsHeadLines Shale Bubble Inflates on Near-Record Prices Surging prices for oil and gas shales, in at least one case rising 10-fold in five weeks, are raising concern of a bubble as valuations of drilling acreage approach

the peak set before the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-09/shale-bubble-inflates-on-nearrecord-prices-for-untested-fields.html Green/ Alternative Energy News MidAmerican Energy plans to add 407 MW of Iowa wind to portfolio MidAmerican Energy plans to build 407.1 MW more of wind generation in Iowa, which would add to its position as the utility with the most owned wind capacity in the US, the Des Moines, Iowa-based utility said Friday. http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/ElectricPower/3878839 Norwegian official: 'Absolutely no doubt' climate change is real Norway's minister of foreign affairs stood at a Petroleum Club lectern on Friday and delivered a few blunt words on climate change, about which, he said, "there can be absolutely no doubt." http://www.chron.com/business/article/Norwegian-official-Absolutely-nodoubt-climate-2447260.php

Crude Oil News OPEC Daily Basket Price 1/6/2012 112.23 (OPEC Daily Basket Price 1/5/2012- $113.00) Crude Declines to Five-Day Low Before Merkel, Sarkozy Meet to Revive Euro Oil fell to its lowest level in five days, erasing earlier gains before German and French leaders meet in an attempt to revive growth in the euro region. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-08/oil-trades-near-lowest-this-year-aseurope-concern-counters-iran-tension.html Oil hovers below $102 in Asia as investors eye Europe meeting, Iran tension Oil prices hovered below $102 a barrel Monday in Asia amid investor concern that a meeting between the leaders of Germany and France wont yield a plan that will keep Europe from recession this year. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/markets/oil-falls-to-near-101-in-asia-asinvestors-eye-europe-meeting-iran-tension/2012/01/09/gIQAdPPckP_story.html Oil Rises in New York on Iran Tension Amid Delays to Middle East Pipeline Oil rose for the first day in three, climbing as much as 59 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $102.15 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude for February delivery was at $101.93 at 10:05 a.m. Sydney time. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-08/oil-rises-in-new-york-on-iran-tensionamid-delays-to-middle-east-pipeline.html China moves to reform energy taxes China, the worlds biggest producer of commodities including coal and gold, is

moving to reform its resources tax system, underlining Beijings determination to push ahead with environmental reforms under the current five-year plan. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/e17582d2-39e1-11e1-a8dc00144feabdc0.html#axzz1ixyfmp5w Gulf Coast working to fill a fuel void in Northeast Northeastern states are slated to lose half of their regional capacity for fuel production by midyear as financial woes push refineries there to idle, a trend likely to increase the regions dependency on Gulf Coast supply. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/01/09/gulf-coast-working-to-fill-a-fuel-voidin-northeast/ Three firms appeal citations alleging Gulf spill safety violations As expected, the three companies cited by the Department of the Interior for offshore safety violations in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill have appealed the notices, an Interior agency said Friday. http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/01/06/three-firms-appeal-citations-alleginggulf-spill-safety-violations/ Iran Has Ability to Block Strait of Hormuz, U.S. General Dempsey Tells CBS Iran has the ability to block the Strait of Hormuz for a period of time, and the U.S. would take action to reopen it, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Martin Dempsey said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-08/iran-able-to-block-strait-of-hormuzgeneral-dempsey-tells-cbs.html Strait of Hormuz shutdown unlikely, won't last beyond 2 weeks: SocGen It would be "relatively easy" for Iran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz and disrupt some 15 million b/d of crude flows but such an event is unlikely and any blockade would not last beyond two weeks, due to a US-led military response, Societe Generale said in a research report released Friday. http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Oil/8774328 IEA Prepared to React to Any Oil Supply Disruption, No Steps Planned Now The International Energy Agency, the adviser to U.S., Germany and Japan, isnt planning an immediate release of emergency oil stockpiles (DOESCRUD) in response to the tension in the Middle East. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-07/iea-isn-t-actively-considering-anyaction-over-middle-east-gulf-tension.html Nigerian Fuel Price Strike May Disrupt Shells Oil Production, Close Ports Nigerian workers began a national strike after fuel costs more than doubled, threatening to shut ports and disrupt output from Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Chevron Corp. (CVX) in Africas largest crude producer.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-08/nigerian-fuel-price-strike-maydisrupt-shell-oil-production-close-ports.html Recent Rig Counts Date of Cou Change from Prior nt Prior Count Count Unchanged 140 -5 29 Dec 11 29 Dec 11 Novembe r 2011 Change from Last Year +307 -61 +62 Date of Last Year's Count 7 Jan 11 7 Jan 11 December 2010

Area U.S. Canada

Last Count

6 Jan 12 2007 6 Jan 12 361

Internatio Decemb 1180 nal er 2011

http://investor.shareholder.com/bhi/rig_counts/rc_index.cfm Weather 6 to 10 Day Outlooks Temperature

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8 to 14 Day Outlooks Temperature

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