Companies

An independent producer has accused Natural Gas Pipeline Companyof America (NGPL) and a number of now-former affiliate companies ofconcocting and carrying out an elaborate scheme that enabled thepipeline to collect fees for gathering that were above the rateallowed by its tariff.

Southern Union Co. has challenged Oneok Inc. to a joint meetingwith law enforcement agencies to review allegations of wrongdoingagainst both companies related to their competing bids to acquireSouthwest Gas Co. last year. Southern Union said Oneok has notresponded to its offer.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is conducting asurvey of local distribution companies (LDCs) in four northeasternstates to determine the extent that interruptible natural gascontracts influenced home heating oil prices this winter.

BP Amoco said it is near an agreement with the FTC on its mergerwith Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO). The news comes with theannouncement the companies are selling ARCO’s Alaskan businesses toPhillips Petroleum Co. for $7 billion. BP Amoco also agreed to sellARCO’s interests in the Cushing storage terminal, together withvarious pipeline interests, to TEPPCO Partners of Houston for $355million.

Williams and Utilicorp United continued their prosperousrelationship yesterday as the two companies announced a four-yeargas supply contract between Williams Gas Pipeline-Central and a 600MW power plant in Cass County, MO, that is 50% owned by Utlicorp.No financial terms were disclosed. Williams said gas is expected toflow in time for the testing phase of the plant in the early summerof 2001.

Shares of BP Amoco and Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO) rose lastFriday following press reports that the companies agreed to selloff all of ARCO’s Alaskan assets to avoid going to court with theFederal Trade Commission (FTC) over their proposed merger.

Shares of BP Amoco and Atlantic Richfield Co. (ARCO) rose lastFriday following press reports that the companies agreed to selloff all of ARCO’s Alaskan assets to avoid going to court with theFederal Trade Commission (FTC) over their proposed merger.

While most regulated companies have called a cease-fire at FERCduring the holidays, El Paso Natural Gas and its principaldetractors — Amoco Production and Burlington Resources Oil &Gas — are hard at work. For starters, the pipeline has asked theCommission to give it until February to submit a proposal forrevising its controversial capacity-allocation procedures.

BP Amoco and Enogex Inc. decided to swap gathering systems inthe Arkoma Basin so the companies might capitalize on theirproducing well interests. BP Amoco received Enogex’s Red Oak gasgathering system in Latimer County in exchange for its Kinta andSouth Bokoshe gas gathering systems in LeFlore and Haskellcounties. No cash was involved in the deal.