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• 12/29/2006 -- Inventory, weather influence markets
  The February contract for benchmark US sweet, light crudes increased 26¢ to $63.72/bbl Dec. 20 as the US Energy Information Administration reported of a larger-than-expected 6.3 million bbl drop in commercial US crude stocks to 329.1 million bbl in the week ended Dec. 15.
• 12/11/2006 -- Storage uncertainties undercut gas prices
  The January natural gas contract registered the lowest closing price in 10 weeks on the New York futures market.
• 12/05/2006 -- Cold weather raises energy prices
  Energy prices soared to the highest levels in months during the final 4 days of November as an arctic cold front moved across the Midwest US toward the East Coast, dumping several feet of snow in its wake.
• 11/27/2006 -- December crude contract expires at low
  The December contract for benchmark US crudes expired Nov. 17 at $55.81/bbl, the lowest closing price in 17 months on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
• 11/17/2006 -- Crude prices hit new low for the year
  The December contract for benchmark US light, sweet crudes plunged to $56.26/bbl, the lowest close for a front-month contract since Nov. 18, 2005.
• 11/13/2006 -- Crude prices dip on IEA demand forecast
  Energy prices on futures markets have swung widely recently.
• 11/06/2006 -- 2006 crude prices may have bottomed out
  The December contract for benchmark US crudes apparently bottomed out at a new floor of $57.05/bbl in intraday trading Oct. 31 before closing at $58.73/bbl, up 37¢ for the day in a late technical rally that forced many traders to cover lower-priced sales positions on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
• 10/31/2006 -- Reaction slow to OPEC cut
  Energy markets were slow to show confidence that members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries would follow through on an agreement to reduce production by Nov. 1.
• 10/16/2006 -- OPEC calls emergency meeting
  After weeks of falling crude prices, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries finally agreed to an emergency meeting Oct. 19 in Qatar to discuss a possible production cut of 1 million b/d.
• 10/09/2006 -- Crude prices dip below $59/bbl
  The November contract for benchmark US light, sweet crudes fell $2.35 to $58.68/bbl Oct. 3, the lowest front-month closing on the New York Mercantile Exchange since Feb. 16.
• 10/02/2006 -- October gas contract ends near 4-year low
  The expiring October natural gas contract dropped to a near 4-year low on the New York Mercantile Exchange during the last week of September, while crude prices continued to fluctuate as traders speculated whether the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries might soon cut production.
• 09/22/2006 -- Crude prices test $60/bbl floor
  The October contract for benchmark US light, sweet crudes fell $2.14 to $61.66/bbl Sept. 19, the lowest closing since Mar. 21.
• 09/18/2006 -- Natural gas futures price hits 2-year low
  Natural gas futures fell below $5/MMbtu Sept. 14 to the lowest level in 2 years on the New York market after the US Energy Information Administration reported a large leap in US gas storage.
• 09/11/2006 -- Holiday week called 'bearish'
  The abbreviated business week of Sept. 5-8 was "one of the most bearish" periods in recent months for the natural gas and crude futures markets, said analysts.
• 09/05/2006 -- Gas market hunts bottom
  For the first time in 6 weeks, the front-month natural gas futures contract fell below $6/MMbtu in interday trading Aug. 31 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
• 08/28/2006 -- Iranian crisis looms
  Fearing an attempt to make atomic bombs, the United Nations Security Council demanded that Iran abandon its uranium enrichment program by the end of August or face international sanctions.
• 08/21/2006 -- Middle East peace undercuts crude prices
  Crude prices tumbled Aug. 14-17, dropping a total $4.29 to a 2-month low closing of $70.06/bbl on the New York market after a United Nations-sponsored ceasefire in Lebanon went into effect and BP PLC said it would keep online half of Prudhoe Bay, the biggest US oil field, while corroded transit lines are repaired.
• 08/14/2006 -- Prudhoe Bay blindsides oil markets
  Traders were watching the Israeli-Lebanese war, supply disruptions in Iraq and Nigeria, and Iran's nuclear ambitions when a new crisis blindsided world markets.
• 08/07/2006 -- Ethanol imported to meet demand
  US demand for ethanol is outstripping supply and raising imports of the product.
• 07/31/2006 -- Heat lifts US natural gas prices
  Natural gas futures prices escalated to a 5-week high July 26, peaking at $6.90/MMbtu in intraday trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange before closing at $6.89/MMbtu, up 47.8¢ for the day.