Comments

Idaho regulators are taking comments from stakeholders until Sept. 20 on a slight proposed natural gas rate decrease by Intermountain Gas Co., which told the Idaho Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that retail utility bills won’t be increasing in the future, reflecting what it called stability in wholesale gas prices.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is seeking comments on whether to change its weekly Commitments of Traders (COT) reports, which show aggregate trader positions in certain futures and option markets. The reports provide a breakdown of each Tuesday’s open interest for all futures and option markets in which 20 or more traders hold positions equal to or above minimum reporting levels established by the CFTC. Over time, both the trading activity that is the subject of the COT reports and the reports themselves, have continued to evolve. As a result of changing market conditions, the commission is undertaking a comprehensive review of the COT reporting program. The notice in the Federal Register, which can be found at http://www.cftc.gov/foia/fedreg06/foi060621a.htm,provides background information on the COT reports and lays out various issues and questions. The comment deadline is Aug. 21. For details contact the CFTC’s Donald Heitman at (202) 418-5041, email, dheitman@cftc.gov.

The Missouri Public Service Commission (MoPSC) has filed comments questioning Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line’s “wholesale replacement” of 71 mainline compressors with 15 new ones — while keeping the same overall horsepower of 118,720 — at a cost $192 million (CP06-272).

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Coast Guard issued a notice in the Federal Register requesting comments on a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) on Suez’s proposed Neptune liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater port, which would be located about eight miles southeast of Gloucester, MA and 22 miles northeast of Boston. The project would include a subsea pipeline and a submerged buoy system that would surface to connect two cargo ships with onboard regasification. The 11-mile, 24-inch diameter pipeline would bring an average of 500 MMcf/d of regasified LNG to a connection with Algonquin’s HubLine pipeline in Boston Harbor. Construction would take about three years with commercial operation expected in 2009. The DEIS stated that using one pipeline system for the Neptune project and the competing Northeast Gateway offshore LNG project, sponsored by Excelerate Energy, would reduce the environmental impacts of both projects. The agencies considered the impacts of three proposed LNG import terminals: Neptune, Northeast Gateway and AES Battery Rock, which would be built on an island near the entrance to Boston Harbor. Public meetings on the Neptune DEIS will be held later this month in Massachusetts. For more information, go to MARAD’s website at http://www.marad.dot.gov/dwp/index.asp.

KeySpan LNG LP, in comments filed at FERC last week, said it took “strong exception” to staff’s finding that the proposed conversion of the company’s existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage terminal in Providence, RI, to an import terminal did not meet federal safety standards. Commission staff reached this conclusion in a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on the project that was issued last month.

KeySpan LNG LP, in comments filed at FERC Wednesday, said it took “strong exception” to staff’s finding that the proposed conversion of the company’s existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage terminal in Providence, RI, to an import terminal did not meet federal safety standards. Commission staff reached this conclusion in a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on the project, which was issued last month.

Marathon Oil Corp. issued a statement on Friday to clarify comments made by CEO Clarence P. Cazalot last week regarding its position on whether it is soliciting or is interested in offers to purchase the company. At a media roundtable on April 7 with 11 journalists Cazalot was asked whether the company was a takeover target. His response was that Marathon is “for sale every day on the New York Stock Exchange. To the extent that someone wants to offer a premium, the board would consider it.” Some news reports following the roundtable indicated the company was actively soliciting offers. “Marathon remains convinced that its strategy to remain a fully-integrated company presents the greatest value to its shareholders,” the company said in its statement.

FERC last Thursday issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) in which it asks for comments on whether it should change its policy on selective discounting to include discounts aimed at enhancing competition between natural gas pipelines.

FERC on Thursday issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) in which it asks for comments on whether it should change its policy on selective discounting to include discounts that are given to enhance competition between natural gas pipelines.