As coal, oil and nuclear power are steadily being undermined by environmental and siting concerns, energy purchasers for industrials, power generators and local distribution companies, increasingly dependent on natural gas as a basic fuel, will be at GasMart 2008 in Chicago May 20-22 to hear from gas industry leaders on resource availability, deliverability and cost.

The pressure is on the natural gas industry to explore, expand and deliver as the only major "acceptable" transition fuel to a cleaner world. GasMart speakers and sponsors assembled by Intelligence Press Inc. for this 22nd annual event will report on the status of North American supply and infrastructure, the availability of LNG and the potential for a massive boost of supply from Alaska.

Besides exploration and drilling they will be discussing new pipelines, storage fields, and LNG facilities that will deliver the increasingly vital product.

Brian Frank, President of BP Energy Company, North America Gas and Power, and Kathleen Eisbrenner, Executive Vice President, Global LNG, Shell Gas and Power International, will keynote GasMart 2008. Their companies will be among the sponsors meeting with customers in the Market Network Center at GasMart.

Also offering their insight will be Will Hussey, Senior Vice President, Origination, of ConocoPhillips, and David Slater, Managing Director, Marketing and Structured Products for Nexen Marketing. Executives from pipeline leaders TransCanada and Kinder Morgan's Rockies Express Pipeline will discuss deliverability and storage.

How do you structure transactions and handle risk? Prospective buyers can get the answers from representatives of EnergyUSA, Integrys, OGE Energy Resources, and Wachovia. Others offering market insight will be Porter Bennett, President of Bentek Energy, the industry's premier data collection and analysis firm, Aaron Studwell, Meteorologist and Sr. Manager, Research and Analytics, Weather Insight, and Jim Osten, Principal, North American Energy Services, Global Insight (USA), Inc.

Purchasers will be taking an active role at GasMart this year. The Process Gas Consumers (PGC), an organization of industrial natural gas users, is a sponsor and will be hosting a special luncheon and meeting for end users. Alex Strawn, Purchasing Group Manager, North American Energy for Procter and Gamble, will address the GasMart audience, as will buyers for Alcoa, AcelorMittal USA Inc., Potash Corp., Abbot and USG Corp.

Of the nearly than 450 already registered to attend, more than half are gas purchasers.

ICE will conduct a workshop on electronic trading and host a cocktail and networking reception. NYMEX is sponsoring a 200-person suite at the Chicago White Sox game and NECC is hosting a golf tournament at the Harborside International Club.

The GasMart program and Market Network Center takes place May 20-22 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. The event is hosted by Intelligence Press Inc., which has been reporting on natural gas market news and prices for 27 years