Consumers to see expensive heating season ahead

"Analysts and economists say that while imports helped bring gasoline prices back below $3 a gallon in many areas, there's not much room to import natural gas or heating oil from overseas......

.....But economists say the key reason for natural gas rises of the last year, before the hurricanes, is there is virtually no excess capacity to meet growing demand.

"Right now we have a supply picture that is fully utilized, even with record wells drilled, record rigs," said Chris McGill, managing director of policy analysis at the American Gas Association.

He said that it'll take a warm winter, and a quick recovery from hurricane related damage, to bring some price relief, but it is far too soon to predict either of those things will occur."

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