Business

Northern Border Partners LP announced its intention to enter theCanadian midstream business. The company is buying the 87 MMcf/dMazeppa sour gas processing plant southeast of Calgary and aminority interest in the 85-mile Gregg Lake/Obed Pipeline (150MMcf/d of capacity), which is west of Edmonton, AB, from DynegyCanada. The purchase is expected to close during the first quarter.

California may have to get in the natural gas business to fuelall of the added 5,000 MW of generation capacity Gov. Gray Davis is promising by this summer, the team of industry and state officialsleading the effort said Tuesday in a conference call with newsmedia. It was acknowledged that most of the added 5,000 MW expectedis gas-fired, and in many cases getting the added capacity onsitewill take more air emission changes and greater plans for fuelsupplies.

Here’s the opening line by the Texas Chamber of Commerce in anybids to lure West Coast business: by this summer, the completionand continued construction of new generation plants in Texas willcreate an electricity supply about 23% higher than peak firmdemand.

Here’s the opening line by the Texas Chamber of Commerce in anybids to lure West Coast business: by this summer, the completionand continued construction of new generation plants in Texas willcreate an electricity supply about 23% higher than peak demand.

In an effort to pursue options to optimize its business,Tulsa-based Sapient Energy Corp. reported it has retained Randall& Dewey, Inc. to provide transaction advisory services, whichinclude the hosting of the independent oil and gas company’s dataroom opening.

At 2 p.m. (PST) Monday, the Cal-ISO anticipated California wouldavoid rolling blackouts and have only some business interruptionsin northern California to get around the transmission bottleneckfor moving supplies south to north. The prognosis for Tuesday ispretty much as it was yesterday, said Cal-ISO’s COO KellanFluckiger, noting that they do not anticipate any unplannedoutages, which is always the wildcard in transmission gridmanagement in the midst of shortages of the magnitude thatCalifornia has faced for the past two months.

Jeffrey Skilling, Enron Corp.’s front man for its energy riskmanagement business and commodity trading growth, will add a CEO inFebruary to his title of president and CFO following a vote by thecompany’s board of directors last week. Current CEO Kenneth Laywill remain chairman and a full-time employee and once again triedto dispel rumors that he may be tapped as a member ofPresident-Elect George W. Bush’s cabinet.

Jeffrey Skilling, Enron Corp.’s front man for its energy riskmanagement business and commodity trading growth, will add a CEO inFebruary to his title of president and CFO following a vote by thecompany’s board of directors this week. Current CEO Kenneth Laywill remain chairman and a full-time employee and once again triedto dispel rumors that he may be tapped as a member ofPresident-Elect George W. Bush’s cabinet.

Enterprise Products Partners L.P. and its subsidiaries, leadersin the midstream liquids business, have upped their ownershipinterest in the Dixie Pipeline Co. to 20% with the purchase ofConoco’s 8.3% interest.