Annual

Williams kicked off its open season last week for shippersinterested in annual firm transportation service produced by theTransco’s Trenton-Woodbury Loop expansion project. the project isexpected to be in service as early as fourth quarter 2002. The openseason will run until 5 p.m. (CST) on Feb. 28.

Williams kicked off its open season yesterday for shippersinterested in annual firm transportation service produced by theTransco’s Trenton-Woodbury Loop expansion project. the project isexpected to be in service as early as fourth quarter 2002. The openseason will run until 5 p.m. (CST) on Feb. 28.

The continued successful implementation of its aggressive growthstrategy was reflected in the annual and quarterly financialresults of San Jose, CA-based Calpine Corp., which Tuesdayannounced triple-digit percentage increases in revenues, net incomeand earnings-per-share. Net income, before an extraordinary charge,was $324.7 million in 2000, compared to $96.2 million in 1999, a238% increase; revenues were $2.3 billion, compared to $847.7million in 1999, a 171% increase; and earnings-per-share were$1.11, compared to 43 cents/share in 1999, a 158% increase.

Florida may be at the center of another controversy between the two Bush brothers, but this time it won’t involve a recount, but rather states’ rights versus federal authority – federal authority that through the Clinton administration had favored and supported states’ rights to ban offshore drilling. This time, the brothers could be on opposite sides.

As it ended its annual conference in San Antonio last week, theInterstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission emerged with an agendacalling for new tax and public policy incentives to increasenatural gas production in the United States. The 30-stateorganization re-issued its call for a national energy policy andurged Congress to give tax breaks to exploration and developmentcompanies.

As it ended its annual conference in San Antonio this week, theInterstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission emerged with an agendacalling for new tax and public policy incentives to increasenatural gas production in the United States. The 30-stateorganization re-issued its call for a national energy policy andurged Congress to give tax breaks to exploration and developmentcompanies.

Top energy regulators from Canada, Mexico and the United Stateswill head the list of speakers at the Sixth Annual Meeting of theGas Industry Standards Board (GISB), to be held Sept. 25-26 in SanAntonio. Commissioner Linda Breathitt of the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission, Commissioner Raul Monteforte of Mexico’sComision Reguladora de Energia, and Deborah Emes, member ofCanada’s National Energy Board will deliver key addresses at themeeting, whose theme is “Convergence: Making it Work.” Stan Horton,chairman of the GISB board of directors and CEO of Enron GasPipeline Group; and Jim Buccigross, chairman of GISB’s ExecutiveCommittee, will report on the state of the standards-settingorganization. Other speakers include representatives of the FederalTrade Commission, and public utility commissions in Texas,Kentucky, Illinois, and Ohio.

For the most part, the annual State of the Oil and Gas Industrymeeting of the Texas Railroad Commission in Austin yesterday was alove fest, as producers, operators, association representatives andvarious others lauded the good times and high profits the industryis having.

GRI, formerly the Gas Research Institute, filed itsfourth-to-last annual research, development and demonstrationprogram application last week with FERC, requesting a budget of $70million and approval of its 2001-2005 RD&D Plan.