Accusing

Accusing Trailblazer Pipeline of unlawful exercise of market power over capacity bidders on its 2002 expansion, Marathon Oil Co. has called on FERC to order the pipeline to disgorge “windfall profits” that it allegedly has collected from the Houston producer under negotiated transportation arrangements over a nearly two-year period.

(Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the March 7 edition of Daily GPI)

Texas Attorney General John Cornyn filed a civil lawsuit lastweek against ExxonMobil, accusing it of taking millions of dollarsin oil and gas revenue from land owned by the state’s taxpayers.Cornyn accused the company of defrauding Texas for at least 25years by “knowingly and wrongfully” producing oil and gas from 50acres of publicly owned right-of-way property in East Texas.

Accusing the state’s utilities of unlawfully billing customers,the Industrial Energy Users-Ohio and the Ohio ManufacturersAssociation went to court this week to prevent the Public UtilitiesCommission of Ohio from imposing extra charges for a low-incomecustomer assistance program.

The Department of Justice has intervened in three civil lawsuitsaccusing affiliates of ExxonMobil Corp., Shell Oil Co. andBurlington Resources Inc. of “knowingly undervaluing” royalties onnatural gas produced from leases on federal and Indian lands over a10-year period. This could be just the tip of the iceberg, as thedepartment has indicated it is reviewing several other gas-royaltycases.

The Department of Justice has intervened in three lawsuitsaccusing Exxon-Mobil Corp., Shell Oil Co. and Burlington ResourcesInc. and affiliates of “knowingly undervaluing” royalties onnatural gas produced from leases on federal and Indian lands over a10-year period. This could be just the tip of the iceberg, as thedepartment has indicated it is reviewing several other cases.

ACN Energy, a gas supplier to thousands of consumers inCalifornia, issued a statement last week accusing SouthernCalifornia Gas Co. (SoCalGas) of mailing ACN customers statementsthat falsely imply SoCalGas is their gas provider. ACN has calledfor an immediate end to the practice and is seeking monetaryretribution for the resultant loss of customers.

North American Energy Conservation Inc.’s (NAEC) complaintaccusing CNG Transmission Corp. of ignoring its claim to right offirst refusal (ROFR) for expiring capacity is a last-ditch effortto win the capacity back, the pipeline said.

North American Energy Conservation Inc.’s (NAEC) complaintaccusing CNG Transmission Corp. of ignoring its claim to right offirst refusal (ROFR) for expiring capacity is a last-ditch effortto win the capacity back, the pipeline said.