Became

San Diego-based Sempra Energy earlier this month became the second company to apply to the Mexican federal energy agency for approval to build a $600 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal and related facilities on the Pacific Coast of North Baja, but the enthusiasm for the project may have been dampened somewhat by reports that contracts for its prime source of LNG in Bolivia are still not in place.

San Diego-based Sempra Energy late last week became the second company to apply to the Mexican federal energy agency for approval to build a $600 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal and related facilities on the Pacific Coast of North Baja, but the enthusiasm for the project may have been dampened somewhat by reports that contracts for its prime source of LNG in Bolivia are still not in place.

Gas compression company Hanover Compressor became the latest accounting crash test dummy to come out with its head rearranged. The company announced Tuesday that it is being examined by the Securities and Exchange Commission for some apparent financial accidents in Nigeria involving a joint venture with Royal Dutch/Shell. It is restating financial results for 2000 and for the first nine months if 2001, lowering its net income by a total of $8.9 million, because it reported income — mainly from the Nigerian joint venture — that it didn’t have. As if that wasn’t enough, the company reported lower than expected earnings for the fourth quarter and cut its earnings forecast for 2002.

Enterprise Products Partners LP became one of the largest liquids storage operators in the country with the acquisition of a natural gas liquids and petrochemical liquids storage business from Diamond-Koch, L.P. and Diamond-Koch III, which are owned by affiliates of Valero Energy and Koch Industries Inc. The purchase price was $129 million in cash.

AmeriGas Partners LP became the nation’s largest retail propane marketer by completing the $202 million purchase of Columbia Propane from NiSource in a deal that closed last Tuesday. The combination will distribute more than one billion retail gallons per year from more than 700 locations.

AmeriGas Partners LP became the nation’s largest retail propane marketer with the $202 million purchase of Columbia Propane from NiSource. The deal closed onm Tuesday. The combination will distribute more than one billion retail gallons per year from more than 700 locations.

El Paso’s postponement dates for smart pigging of Line 1103 (seeDaily GPI, March 14) became inoperative after the pipelinedetermined that cleaning of the line would not be completed asexpected. El Paso said it will wait until Line 1103 is completelyclean before announcing a new pigging schedule. “By waiting, wewill only be able to give the notice one to two days prior to theevent, but we feel that is preferable to the possibility of havingto postpone yet another time.”

Iroquois Gas Transmission System LP’s Eastchester ExtensionProject became fully subscribed last week and is slated to bring230 MDth/d to power electric generation to serve residential,industrial and commercial customers in New York City – now servedby Consolidated Edison Energy Inc., KeySpan Ravenswood Inc., OrionPower Holdings Inc., Mirant New York Management Inc. and VirginiaPower Energy Marketing Inc.

The threat of rolling blackouts hovering over California formore than a month became a reality Wednesday when the state gridoperator (Cal-ISO) ordered them, first, for northern California,and later in the day spreading them to the southern half of thestate.