Piedmont Natural Gas will be soliciting bids for asset management services and gas supply beginning Nov. 1 for its North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee operations. The Charlotte, NC-based utility has a total system throughput of more than 250 Bcf/year, with firm transportation contracts on multiple pipelines. Piedmont will be seeking asset management services, seasonal, and year-round supply for contract terms yet to be determined. To receive a copy of the request for proposals when posted, contact Keith Maust at (704) 731-4901, or Sarah Stabley at (704) 731-4907.

Enbridge Energy Partners LP (EEP) said it would file during the second quarter a registration statement for the initial public offering of Midcoast Energy Partners LP (MEP), a proposed master limited partnership whose initial asset is to consist of an about 40% interest in EEP’s natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) midstream business. EEP will retain ownership of the general partner and all the incentive distribution rights in MEP. EEP expects that MEP will sell a minority of its limited partner interests and raise gross equity proceeds of $400 million to $500 million, which it will apply together with MEP borrowings for its initial interest in the natural gas and NGL midstream business.

Petronas, Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company, plans to spend $20 billion on the Pacific NorthWest LNG export project in western Canada, a company executive told an industry conference in Kuala Lampur, as reported by Reuters. Arif Mahmood, Petronas vice president of corporate planning, said the project could be expanded to a third train. The first train of 6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) could be constructed by 2018, with another 6 mtpa train constructed the following year, he said. Petronas bought its joint venture partner in the project, Progress Energy Resources Corp., last year (see Daily GPI, June 29).

Montana lawmakers on Monday failed to override several budget-balancing vetoes by Gov. Steve Bullock, including one bill (HB 218) that was to provide up to $35 million in grants to local communities infrastructure needs caused by oil and natural gas development in the state. The Montana state Senate drew enough votes to override the veto, but the House fell six votes short. Bullock said he was forced to veto the measure because the state lawmakers sent him a budget that included $21 million more in expenditures than revenues. “If Montana is going to continue to keep taxes low and help businesses grow, we have to have a balanced budget,” Bullock said, adding that he was forced to veto some good bills. HB 218 passed the legislature with only eight dissenting votes, but it failed to get the same support in the override votes. The bill would have authorized the state Commerce Department to issue grants to local governments to help support their infrastructure and other needs resulting from oil/gas impacts.

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