Accepted

Amid a flurry of protests from existing storage customers, FERClast week accepted and suspended Natural Gas Pipeline Co. ofAmerica’s tariff proposal to provide a new storage service forpower generation customers, but it made it subject to refund,conditions and the outcome of a technical conference.

Nicor Gas said yesterday it has accepted the Illinois CommerceCommission’s (ICC) order for a performance-based rate (PBR) fornatural gas costs. Currently, the Naperville, IL-based distributorspends about $900 million a year to purchase gas, but the PBRprovides the financial incentive for it to buy gas at even lowerprices. Under the PBR formula, Nicor’s actual gas costs will becompared to a targeted benchmark that’s based on competitive marketprices. The difference between the actual gas costs and thebenchmark will be shared 50/50 between Nicor Gas and its customers.The PBR plan, which will go into effect Jan. 1, will not apply totransportation customers who purchase their own supplies from thirdparties.

FERC Chairman James J. Hoecker has named Susan G Pollonais ashis advisor on gas and oil issues, replacing Patricia W. Jagtiani,who has accepted a position with the Natural Gas SupplyAssociation. Pollonais has served as a public utility specialist inthe Office of Pipeline Regulations Division of Litigation since1997. From 1993 to 1997 she was a gas regulatory consultant andproject manager for Northern States Power.

After extending its unsolicited merger offer for ConsolidatedNatural Gas twice, Columbia Energy finally accepted defeat lastweek, ending a three-month battle with Dominion Resources for CNG’shand. Columbia officially withdrew its $6.7 billion offer lastTuesday following a sweetened merger bid by Virginia Power parentDominion set at $6.4 billion and the CNG board’s unanimous approvalof a revised agreement with Dominion.

Columbia Energy has accepted defeat in the three-month battlewith Dominion Resources for a merger with Consolidated Natural Gas.Columbia officially withdrew its $6.7 billion offer late Tuesdayfollowing a sweetened merger bid by Virginia Power parent Dominionset at $6.4 billion and the CNG board’s unanimous approval of arevised agreement with Dominion.

Virginia Gas Co. announced that Glenn Rogers has accepted theposition of chairman of the board of directors. Rogers served onthe board of directors since June 1998.

The International Petroleum Exchange (IPE), based in London,accepted an offer from NYMEX last week to look into a possiblemerger, which would create a “single global energy exchange.” Anagreement to join the exchanges would affect companies which sellcommodities internationally in both markets. The domestic gasmarkets in both countries, however, would see little impact.

Amber Energy’s board has accepted a revised merger offer fromAlberta Energy Co. (AEC) and said it will cease pursuing the saleof some of its midstream assets.

Amber Energy’s board has accepted a revised merger offer fromAlberta Energy Co. (AEC) and said it will cease pursuing the saleof some of its midstream assets. AEC raised its offer for Amber by50 cents a share to $7.50, or 0.225 AEC shares for each Ambercommon share, and agreed to an aggregate limit of 4.5 millionshares, which is up from 3 million. Together, the two gas companieshold the largest gas reserve base of any publicly-owned oil and gascompany in Canada with 4 Tcf of reserves, and create one of thelargest gas producers north of the border with about 900 MMcf/d ofgas production, said AEC President and CEO Gwyn Morgan.