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A return to normal temperatures in the first quarter andthroughout next year is likely to lead to a 2.4% increase in gasdemand in 1999, the Independent Petroleum Association of America(IPAA) said in its November Short-Run Forecast. IPAA sees demandreaching 22.3 Tcf, a peak that surpasses the previous high of 22.1set in 1972 and a significant turnaround from the 1.1% decrease to21.7 Tcf of gas demand expected this year.

Interstate pipelines and industrial gas customers said theywould be opposed to any FERC proposal requiring pipes to notifyaffected landowners of proposed projects prior to filing theirapplications at the Commission, saying this would only furthersnarl the certification process. In late September, FERC indicatedin a notice of technical conference that it was leaning toward sucha proposal in order to involve landowners earlier on in thecertification process.

Low oil prices prompted Texaco to cut about 1,000 out of 8,000upstream employee and contractor jobs worldwide as part of areorganization designed to increase emphasis on long-termproduction and reserve growth and streamline costs and improvecompetitiveness. Cost savings are projected to be $200 million peryear, and the reorganization is expected to be completed by the endof the first quarter of next year.

Nine months after acquiring MidCon Corp., KN Energy citedimprovements in all areas of operations and reported a markedincrease in earnings for the first three quarters of 1998.

Record earnings from wholesale power marketing and generationand a 19% increase in operating margin from gas marketinghighlighted Dynegy Inc.’s sterling third quarter results.Continuing difficulties in the company’s liquids division anduncertainty over Nova Corp.’s plan to divest its 26% share in thecompany were more than counterbalanced by a three-fold increase inoperating margin from power marketing and trading.

FERC last week approved an amended certificate for SouthernNatural Gas (Sonat) to build a controversial mainline extensionthat’s intended to provide customers with an alternative to theexisting pipeline now serving northern Alabama. The fate of theproject, however, still hangs in the balance since the InteriorDepartment’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) hasn’t yet issuedSonat a permit to build through a protected wildlife refuge.

Many western producers believe the coal bed methane legislationsigned into law last week by the president puts drilling operationsin the Powder River Basin and other basins heavy in coal gas backon track. Not so, said Amoco Production Co., warning thelegislation (S. 2500) doesn’t accomplish what was intended.

Florida Power Corp. has joined in the flurry of new energyprojects spurred by this summer’s record-setting heat wave, filingplans with the Florida Public Service Commission to accelerate thebuilding of a second generation unit at its Hines Energy Complex inPolk County. The unit will provide additional capability to meetgrowing demand for electricity well into the next century. Thecompany has offered to absorb construction costs for the plant inits current customer rates.

The stock merger of Kerr-McGee and Oryx Energy creates the No. 4U.S. independent producer with market capitalization of $4 billionand is symptomatic of an industry pushed headlong intoconsolidation by sharply depressed oil and gas prices.