Cross Bay Pipeline partners the Williams Companies and DukeEnergy signed up KeySpan Energy Development as a third partner inthe project to move gas from interstate pipes in New Jersey to NewYork City and Long Island. The project will make use of existingpipes operated by Duke’s Texas Eastern Transmission (TETCO) andWilliams’ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Lines (Transco). KeySpan is asubsidiary of MarketSpan Corp., which is the parent of LDC BrooklynUnion.

In the first stage of development, expected to cost $45 million,the Cross Bay group will build new compression and expand currentpipes to transport an additional 125 MMcf/d to New York City andLong Island. Operation of the new system is scheduled to begin inNovember 2000, serving customers on the Brooklyn Union andConsolidated Edison distribution systems. To meet future regionaldemand, Cross Bay may be expanded to carry up to 700 MMcf/d. Anopen season is planned for this month for firm capacity. A FERCfiling is expected in November. The project was announced by Dukeand Williams in January (see Daily and Weekly NGI, January 26,1998).

“Adding MarketSpan to the Cross Bay pipeline group will helpensure that this project is well positioned to satisfy the futureneeds of New York and Long Island – two dynamic gas markets,” saidCuba Wadlington Jr., Transco senior vice president.

Western Gas Downgraded on Soft Prices

Duff & Phelps Credit Rating downgraded its rating on WesternGas Resources’ preferred stock from Double-B to Double-B-Minus. Theimplied senior debt rating has also been downgraded fromTriple-B-Minus to Double-B-Plus. Approximately $410 million ofpreferred securities are affected.

The downgrade reflects the decline in Western Gas’ creditprotection measures due to the current weakness in the oil, gas andgas liquids (NGL) markets coupled with the cost associated with theconstruction and start-up of the Bethel, TX, gas treating facility,which is operating at lower-than-anticipated utilization rates.These factors have resulted in negative free cash flows and a risein debt levels which, depending on a product price improvement, areanticipated to continue over the near term.

The company is planning to mitigate these downward pressuressomewhat through a modified capital expenditure plan and assetsales. The recently announced sale of a 50% ownership interest inits Granger gas gathering and processing complex to RIS Resources(USA) Inc. for about $110 million (pre-tax) is an example of thisstrategy. Additional sales of non-strategic assets may also be aundertaken.

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