A legal battle between Kinder Morgan and Questar over theirTransColorado Gas Transmission partnership could lead to a thirdparty entering the picture to operate the 292-mile pipeline. In abulletin board notice yesterday, TransColorado invited thirdparties interested in becoming the independent operator of itssystem to provide statements of qualification in order to receiverequests for proposals.

“Because there is a lawsuit between the two companies and [thepartnership is being dissolved], we have decided to look for athird party operator,” said Kinder Morgan spokesman Larry Pierce.

Kinder Morgan filed the lawsuit against Questar in ColoradoDistrict Court in Garfield County in June charging Questar with abreach of its fiduciary duty to the TransColorado pipelinepartnership after Questar announced plans to build a competingpipeline that would transport gas from the Uinta Basin to the KernRiver Pipeline.

“We were disappointed in their decision to do that and franklyquite dismayed at their decision to do that,” Pierce said. “We feltwe had no alternative but to file a lawsuit.” He said the trialdate for the suit has been scheduled for February 2002.

The third-party operator of the pipeline will perform, or engageothers to perform, administrative, legal, regulatory and marketingfunctions currently performed by the partners, the bulletin boardannouncement said. Candidates must provide a statement ofqualifications by 4 p.m. CST Jan. 24. The RFP will be sent by Jan.31.

TransColorado consists of 292 miles of 22-inch and 24-inch pipeextending from Piceance Basin near Meeker, CO, to San Juan Basinnear Blanco, NM. To obtain details, including an organizationalchart, call Dianne Barrett at (303) 763-3676 or Evelyn Zimmerman at(801) 324-5564.

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