So, less natural gas was being produced and stored. Then came the incredibly hot summer of 2000. Air conditioners whirred and in most of the country the power plants gobbled up huge amounts of natural gas. Now we have the coldest winter in 106 years. You turn up your thermostat and suddenly the gas companies worry about running out of it.
Gas becomes as rare as gold.
Drillers are getting the cash to drill like never before. Producers who survived the last two years are making lots of money. The faster they get more gas out of the ground and into the pipes, the lower the price of gas will be. But the drilling rigs and the guys who run them are so rare that they are commanding huge amounts of money. A lot of the money is coming right out of your checking account.