Bring

Despite falling gas prices, declining demand and increasing production, the rush is still on to bring more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the United States. Two El Paso Corp. subsidiaries are conducting separate open seasons to determine non-binding customer interest in transportation capacity on pipelines that will transport natural gas from El Paso Global LNG’s planned LNG terminal on Grand Bahama Island to Florida.

In an effort to bring energy policy to the forefront of the national security debate, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James M. Inhofe on Friday submitted two major energy bills as amendments to the $340 billion defense spending authorization bill, which is being taken up by the Senate this week. The amendments include Sen. Frank Murkowski’s National Energy Security Act and the energy bill (H.R. 4) House lawmakers passed in July.

In an effort to bring energy policy to the forefront of the national security debate, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James M. Inhofe on Friday submitted two major energy bills as prospective amendments to the $340 billion defense spending authorization bill, which is being taken up by the Senate this week. The amendments include Sen. Frank Murkowski’s National Energy Security Act and the energy bill (H.R. 4) House lawmakers passed in July.

While he strongly supports a money settlement between parties in the high profile case alleging affiliate and market-power abuse on the part of El Paso Corp. subsidiaries, FERC Chief Administrative Law Judge Curtis Wagner Jr. indicated that he won’t postpone issuing his initial decision to accommodate settlement negotiations. Assuming a settlement is not brokered, Wagner said he “feels strongly that this case should proceed to decision at the very earliest possible date.”

Fulfilling most market watchers’ expectations, natural gas futures continued lower Monday as weakness in the early morning over-the-counter market translated into a gap lower open when the regular open-outcry session reopened at 9:30 a.m. (EDT). The September contract was the hardest hit, tumbling 16.2 cents to close at $2.544. A hefty estimated volume of 80,799 lent credence to the price move.

FERC administrative law judges (ALJs) this week will bring together the three Northeast independent system operators (ISOs) and Southeast transmission owners in response to a recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order designed to establish a total of four regional transmission organizations (RTOs) in the United States, with one dedicated to each region: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and West.

PG&E Gas Transmission, Northwest announced plans to construct a gas pipeline lateral across Washington state that would bring gas to new power plants and LDC load from GTN’s mainline. The project, called the Washington Lateral (WL), would begin at GTN’s mainline in eastern Washington, bear west toward central Washington and terminate at or near Northwest Pipeline’s mainline system in western Washington’s Interstate-5 corridor. The WL is intended to serve developing electric generation projects and local gas distribution needs along and at the terminus of the route, PG&E said. The WL also may have the capability to deliver gas to NPC’s Spokane and Wenatchee Laterals as well as to its mainline south of Seattle. For more information contact GTN’s Dave Van Driel, Randy Hunter, Dave Sloan or Jim Schoene.

PG&E Gas Transmission, Northwest announced plans to construct a gas pipeline lateral across Washington state that would bring gas to new power plants and LDC load from GTN’s mainline.

The first of several Alaskan lease sales were completed last week, with the most interest in the state’s North Slope Foothills region, which ended with 170 tracts sold worth $11.2 million. The Cook Inset sale ended with 30 tracts sold for a total of $1.2 million.