Corporate

A structural shift is under way in the energy industry, forcing natural gas and oil companies to rethink not only corporate strategies but also how they share their visions with the public and policymakers, a panel of energy executives said Monday in Houston on the opening day of the Offshore Technology Conference.

Stronger performance from its wholesale services, energy investments and corporate segments helped drive AGL Resources Inc.’s 4Q2008 net income to $74 million and earnings of 97 cents/share, compared with net income of $66 million and earnings of 86 cents/share in 4Q2007, the company said Thursday.

Stronger performance from its wholesale services, energy investments and corporate segments helped drive AGL Resources Inc.’s 4Q2008 net income to $74 million and earnings of 97 cents/share, compared with net income of $66 million and earnings of 86 cents/share in 4Q2007, the company said Thursday.

Halliburton Co. said it will open a corporate headquarters office in the United Arab Emirates and that CEO Dave Lesar will move to Dubai to lead the company’s efforts to grow in the Eastern Hemisphere. A Houston headquarters will be maintained as well. The announcement was made Sunday at a regional energy conference in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

With a corporate strategic goal of becoming the nation’s leading utility, PG&E Corp. has no plans for mergers or acquisitions and will concentrate on creating new earnings opportunities within the regulated utility business, according to CEO Peter Darbee. He made the remarks Thursday on a conference call announcing earnings that were down for the fourth quarter last year, but increased for all of 2006, compared with 2005.

With a corporate strategic goal of becoming the nation’s leading utility, PG&E Corp. has no plans for mergers or acquisitions and will concentrate on creating new earnings opportunities within the regulated utility business, according to CEO Peter Darbee. He made the remarks Thursday on a conference call announcing earnings that were down for the fourth quarter last year, but increased for all of 2006, compared with 2005.

Forecasts of Canadian gas supply declines are being exaggerated by an industry faction following an oil agenda, say opponents of a plan to convert part of the TransCanada PipeLines system to oil service.

Forecasts of Canadian gas supply declines are being exaggerated by an industry faction following an oil agenda, say opponents of a plan to convert part of the TransCanada PipeLines system to oil service.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P) on Tuesday raised the long-term corporate credit rating on pipeline giant El Paso Corp. and its subsidiaries to “B+” from “B” following the progress the company has made to refocus its businesses. Its outlook is “positive.”