Challenges

No major headway was made in resolving the jurisdictionalchallenges associated with the proposed TriState Pipeline projectduring a FERC technical conference on Tuesday, according to a majorsponsor of the project.

Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is appealing the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s (OCC) preliminary approval of a stipulation agreement between the OCC and Oneok (parent of Oklahoma Natural Gas). The agreement consolidates two ongoing rate cases and provides for an interim rate reduction for Oklahoma customers of ONG and Kansas Gas Service of $5 million per year beginning in September. The attorney general maintains a larger rate reduction may be in order.

Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson is appealing theOklahoma Corporation Commission’s (OCC) preliminary approval of astipulation agreement between the OCC and Oneok (parent of OklahomaNatural Gas) that consolidates two ongoing rate cases and providesfor an interim rate reduction for Oklahoma customers of ONG andKansas Gas Service of $5 million per year beginning in September.The AG maintains a larger rate reduction may be in order.

A Senate report’s conclusion that the natural gas and oilindustries aren’t likely to be ready for the computer-relatedsystem challenges of the Year 2000 is based on “out-of-date”information that “misses [the] significant progress the industrieshave made” during the past six months, said major industry tradegroups.

A Senate report’s conclusion that the natural gas and oilindustries aren’t likely to be ready for the computer-relatedsystem challenges of the Year 2000 is based on “out-of-date”information that “misses [the] significant progress the industrieshave made” during the past six months, said major industry tradegroups.

Westcoast Energy Inc. last week challenged BC Gas’ request for an abbreviated approval process for the Southern Crossing pipeline proposal and called for a full public review of the re-filed proposal by BC Gas to build a $350 million pipeline across Southern British Columbia. Westcoast maintains the Southern Crossing project is too expensive and that there are other alternatives.

The Energy Information Administration released its Annual EnergyOutlook 1999 (AEO99) last week, projecting gas demand will grow byabout 50% to 33.17 Tcf by 2020 from 1997 levels of 22.59 Tcf, whichis a 1.7% average annual increase.

The Energy Information Administration released its Annual EnergyOutlook 1999 (AEO99) yesterday, projecting gas demand will grow byabout 50% to 33.17 Tcf by 2020 from 1997 levels of 22.59 Tcf, whichis a 1.7% average annual increase. Total energy demand is projectedto grow 1.1%/year to 119.9 quadrillion Btu by 2020 from 94 quads in1997.

After a decade of recuperation, the North American gas industryfaces the challenge of growing end-use consumption to 25 or even 30Tcf in the U.S. alone over the next decade, according to the 1998North American Natural Gas Trends report released yesterday byArthur Andersen and Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA).