Block

A small Massachusetts local distributor last week asked FERC towaive a Tennessee Gas Pipeline tariff restriction on capacityreleases that it claims could “frustrate” the drive towardscompetition in the state’s natural gas market.

A small Massachusetts local distributor has asked FERC to waivea Tennessee Gas Pipeline tariff restriction that it claims could”frustrate” efforts to unbundle the natural gas market in thestate.

Reps. James L. Oberstar (D-MN), John D. Dingell (D-MI) and DavidR. Obey (D-WI) sent letters to President Clinton and HouseDemocratic Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt last week urgingrejection of an effort to include the Senate’s pipeline safety bill(S. 2438) as a rider to an appropriations bill or other “must-pass”legislation.

Exelon Corp., a big new kid on the electricity block, isexpected to begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchangeunder the symbol “EXC.” The new company is the product of the $8billion merger of Unicom Corp. and PECO Energy Co. which wascompleted on Friday, following approval by the Securities andExchange Commission.

Reps. James L. Oberstar (D-MN), John D. Dingell (D-MI) and David R. Obey (D-WI) sent letters to President Clinton and House Democratic Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt last week urging rejection of an effort to include the Senate’s pipeline safety bill (S. 2438) as a rider to an appropriations bill or other “must-pass” legislation.

Exelon Corp., a big new kid on the electricity block, is expected to begin trading today on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “EXC.” The new company is the product of the $8 billion merger of Unicom Corp. and PECO Energy Co. which was completed on Friday, following approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

NGPL said it is completing all work on the offshore Texas HighIsland Block 71 Lateral and the line will become available for serviceagain today. A leak was discovered Aug. 16 and about 50 MMcf/d ofproduction from three receipt points was scheduled to zero effectiveAug. 18 (see Daily GPI, Aug. 23). NGPLwill begin scheduling gas for the High Island 71 (Torch) and HighIsland 116 (Vasgas) wells today. However, the High Island 139 (Sonat)well has been disconnected and is under evaluation at this time, sountil further notice the pipeline will not schedule gas there.

NGPL said it has not yet completed repairs of a leak discoveredlast week on its offshore High Island Block 71 Lateral. Productionfrom three points (High Island 71, High Island 139 and High Island116) has been scheduled to zero since Friday.

Adding another building block to its long hoped for pipelinethrough Wisconsin and Illinois, Guardian Pipeline signed anagreement with IPSCO Inc. to manufacture and deliver steel pipe forthe proposed 149 mile-long pipeline. IPSCO will begin producing thepipe next fall to complement Guardian’s construction, which isexpected to get under way by early 2002. Though regulatory approvalis still to come, the agreement brings Guardian’s project closer toreality. In July, FERC concluded Guardian would have “limitedadverse impact,” and would be acceptable as long as appropriatemitigation measures were adopted. FERC is expected to make a finaldecision on the project by early next year. Guardian will transportgas from interconnections with Alliance, Northern Border,Midwestern Gas Transmission and the Natural Gas Pipeline of Americaat the Chicago Hub near Joliet, IL to northern Illinois andsouthern Wisconsin markets.