The U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbiahas asked a D.C. federal judge to sentence Nicholas J. Bush, formerpresident of the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), to a”significant period of incarceration” for embezzling about $3million from the producer group over a 16-year period.
Columbia
Articles from Columbia
Stiff Sentence Recommended for Ex-NGSA Official
The U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has asked a D.C. federal court judge to sentence Nicholas J. Bush, former president of the Natural Gas Supply Association {NGSA), to a “significant period of incarceration” for embezzling about $3 million from the producer group over a 16-year period.
Apache Buying Shell Canada Assets
Apache Corp. made a definitive agreement to acquire producingproperties and other assets in Alberta, British Columbia andSaskatchewan, Canada with proved reserves of 87.5 MMBoe from ShellCanada Limited for C$770 million (US$524 million at currentexchange rates).
Transportation Notes
Maintenance on parts of Columbia Gulf’s East Lateral system(Paradis Line) will begin Saturday, two days earlier thanpreviously announced. Originally scheduled to begin May 10 (seeDaily GPI, April 19), the work will take three to 10 days tocomplete and require about 65,000 dth/d to be shut in at 11measurement stations.
SCANA, PSNC Joining Carolina Forces
Columbia, SC-based SCANA Corp. nearly doubled its regulated gascustomer base in the fast-growing Carolinas last week with thepurchase of Public Service Company of North Carolina (PSNC) for$900 million, including the assumption of about $250 million inPSNC debt. The combination will serve 517,000 electric, 760,000 gascustomers in the Carolinas and Georgia and 350,000telecommunications customers throughout the Southeast. Total annualrevenues for the combined company will be about $2 billion andmarket capitalization will be about $6 billion.
SCANA, PSNC Form Southeast Powerhouse
Columbia, SC-based SCANA Corp. nearly doubled its regulated gascustomer base in the fast-growing Carolinas yesterday with thepurchase of Public Service Company of North Carolina (PSNC) for$900 million, including the assumption of about $250 million inPSNC debt. The combination will serve 517,000 electric, 760,000 gascustomers in the Carolinas and Georgia and 350,000telecommunications customers throughout the Southeast. Total annualrevenues for the combined company will be about $2 billion andmarket capitalization will be about $6 billion.
Marketers Struggle to Prepare for Georgia Competition
Scana Energy Marketing could have the early lead in Georgia’sretail gas market. Its mass marketing campaign and generousincentives for residential customers to switch suppliers seem tohave caught many competitors by surprise.
PA Utilities Defend LIHEAP to Congress
The three largest gas utilities in western Pennsylvania(Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Equitable Gas and Peoples Gas) urgedcustomers to press Congress to restore full funding to the LowIncome Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The three gascompanies began a letter writing campaign on behalf of customers,consumer groups and social service agencies. Elimination of LIHEAPwould impact thousands of customers in Pennsylvania, the utilitiessaid. Nearly 350,000 Pennsylvania families benefit from theprogram. The LIHEAP grant is applied directly to heating bills.Eligibility is based on family income and the number of householdmembers. LIHEAP, a federally-funded program, has been around fortwo decades, but its future was thrown into doubt last month whenthe House Appropriations Committee voted to eliminate the programin fiscal 1999, saving $1.1 billion. President Clinton hadrequested $1.4 billion for LIHEAP in his 1999 budget. Members ofthe U.S. House of Representatives will have another opportunity toconsider LIHEAP funding later this month.
Municipals Start to Hear a Different Tune
Columbia Energy CEO Oliver G. (Rick) Richard gazed deep into acrystal ball yesterday for the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgiaand saw thousands of municipal gas customers using the Internet tochoose from among a plethora of alternative gas suppliers. All themunicipals saw through that crystal, however, was Richard on theother side.
Puget Sound and Duke to Coordinate Trading
Puget Sound Energy of Bellevue, WA, and Duke Energy Trading andMarketing (DETM) agreed to coordinate marketing and tradingactivities in 14 western states and British Columbia.