Providence Energy subsidiary ProvGas is providing remote systemcontrol and monitoring services for the Portland Natural GasTransmission System (PNGTS) – a new 272-mile pipeline that runsfrom Quebec to Massachusetts. ProvGas began providing 24-hourremote electronic monitoring of the pipeline from its Allens Avenuefacility shortly after the pipeline began operating on March 10.ProvGas will monitor the pipeline using a sophisticated SystemsControl and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to watch the portion ofthe pipeline that runs from Pittsburgh, NH, on the Quebec border,to Westbrook, ME. The line can transport 178 MMcf/d of gas.

Columbia Natural Resources closed its previously announcedacquisition of The Wiser Oil Co.’s Appalachian Basin production andgathering assets. The transaction is valued at $28 million. CNRpurchased working interest in 487 natural gas and oil wells, morethan 100,000 net acres of developed and undeveloped property and anatural gas gathering system. The assets are located primarily insoutheastern Kentucky and central West Virginia. Current productionfrom the acquired assets on a net revenue basis is 8 MMcf/d. Thetransaction includes 42.7 Bcfe of proved reserves, which increasesCNR’s reserve base to 844 Bcfe.

ISO New England began operating a virtual trading floor via theInternet May 1 for New England’s wholesale electricity market. Upto 130 electricity generators, suppliers, marketers, brokers andload aggregators are now using the Internet to trade forelectricity supply and services across the six-state region. ISONew England, Andersen Consulting and ALSTOM ESCA worked jointlyover the last two years to create the market, operations,administrative and business systems and technology infrastructureto operate a competitive market for power in New England. Thesystems designed for ISO New England give the ISO the ability toreceive bids and contracts for energy and related services fromparticipating organizations, use these bids to schedule anddispatch energy, support settlements and billing for marketservices and to publish reports detailing market andparticipant-specific activities. The system is real-time andprovides hourly clearing prices, daily settlements and monthlyinvoices.

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