Actually

Due to the current interdependency of the U.S. economy, an attack at a key point along a pipeline could actually disrupt communications, information technology and power, as well as the petroleum and natural gas supplies that run through the pipes, according to Bobby R. Gillham, manager of global security for Conoco Inc. Environmental concerns over the past 20 years have forced interstate pipelines to not only carry natural gas and liquid petroleum products, but also fiber optic cable for communications, and power lines, which are run in the same rights of way, he said.

Due to the current interdependency of the U.S. economy, an attack at a key point along a pipeline could actually disrupt communications, information technology and power as well as the petroleum and natural gas supplies that run through the pipes, according to Bobby R. Gillham, manager of global security for Conoco Inc. Environmental concerns over the past 20 years have forced interstate pipelines to not only carry natural gas and liquid petroleum products, but also fiber optic cable for communications, and power lines are run in the same rights of way, he said.

It was two former FERC commissioners who “actually played a role” in getting then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush to consider a relative unknown at the time, Patrick Wood III, for the position of state regulator, Wood disclosed last Thursday, in an attempt to dispel reports that long-time Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay pulled political strings for him.

Last week’s reminder that winter actually can be quite cold at times (a fact that some traders might have forgotten during yet another mild heating season) was starting to fade as scheduled Friday in parts of the East, but severe weather was either tightening or reasserting its grip from the Rockies through the Midcontinent/Midwest. The result was mildly higher weekend pricing in the still-frigid regions, while flatness prevailed in most of the rest of the market. Northeast and Florida citygates sustained the only significant losses as they continued retreating from midweek spikes.

The drop in global energy industry transaction values to $303.6billion in 2000 from $360.2 billion a year earlier was actually a”return to normal” following several mega-mergers in 1999,according to a John S. Herold Inc. study released last week. Theupstream global merger and acquisition transaction values totaled$112.2 billion in 2000, down 16% from $152.9 billion in 1999.

The drop in global energy industry transaction values to $303.6billion in 2000 from $360.2 billion a year earlier, was actually a”return to normal” following several mega-mergers in 1999,according to a John S. Herold Inc. study. The upstream globalmerger and acquisition transaction values totaled $112.2 billion in2000, down 16% from $152.9 billion in 1999.

Landowners and interstate pipelines actually agreed on somethinglast week – neither were particularly thrilled with some of theinitiatives proposed by FERC for carving out a greater role forlandowners in the certificate process. But the reasons for theirdissatisfaction were completely opposite.

Landowners and interstate pipelines actually agreed on somethingearlier this week — neither were particularly thrilled with someof the initiatives proposed by FERC for carving out a greater rolefor landowners in the certificate process. But the reasons fortheir dissatisfaction were completely disparate.

The American Gas Association sent out a confusing market signalyesterday, reporting 45 Bcf of withdrawals for the week ending Nov.13 but actually showing more gas in storage than was reported inlast week’s survey. The peculiar changes, the association said,resulted from 58 Bcf increase in the full level of working gas inthe country. The AGA said 20 of the more than 40 storage companiessurveyed reported increases in working gas capacity. The newestimated full level of working gas is 3,248 Bcf, which includes a29 Bcf increase in working gas capacity in the Producing Region, a21 Bcf rise in the Consuming Region East and an 8 Bcf increase inthe Consuming Region West.