Cuts

The Sandhills Pipeline, which cuts across 84 miles ofsouth-central North Carolina to link the Williams Transcontinentalinterstate pipeline with a natural gas-fired power plant underconstruction in Richmond County, NC was completed Monday, accordingto Progress Energy Inc.

Concluding a four-month process, AGL Resources reported that ithas entered into an agreement with Alliance Data Systems (ADS) tosell Utilipro, Inc. — a customer care and billing serviceprovider for energy marketers in a number of states. The sale comesjust five months after the billing provider was sued for $50million by bankrupt Georgia marketer Peachtree Natural Gas.

With winter setting in for the long haul, two indicators have become a constant. Natural gas prices continue to stay pegged in the upper echelon, and fertilizer producing companies continue to scale back their natural gas-intensive process of producing items such as ammonia and methanol.

Edison International has eliminated its fourth quarter dividendand subsidiary Southern California Edison has dropped $100 millionin electric system operations and maintenance investments affecting400 jobs to help ease its financial crisis.

TransCanada PipeLines plans to remove 12 older compressors fromservice in an effort to lower maintenance costs and reduce theamount of excess pipeline capacity on its system following thestart-up of the 1.325 Bcf/d Alliance Pipeline on Dec. 1.

TransCanada PipeLines plans to remove 12 older compressors fromservice in an effort to lower maintenance costs and reduce theamount of excess pipeline capacity on its system following thestart-up of the 1.325 Bcf/d Alliance Pipeline on Dec. 1.

NiSource Inc. is losing no time in preparing for the expectedNov. 1 completion of its Columbia Energy acquisition, announcingThursday that about 5% or 800 of the employees of the two companieshave been notified their positions will be eliminated Dec. 1.

Marathon Oil’s new President Clarence Cazalot last week followedthrough on consolidation plans announced earlier this summer. Hesaid the company will consolidate parts of its U.S. upstreamorganization, resulting in an initial staff reduction of about 200jobs. The changes are expected to save the company about $75million/year.

Marathon Oil’s new President Clarence Cazalot yesterday followedthrough on consolidation plans announced earlier this summer. Hesaid the company will consolidate parts of its U.S. upstreamorganization, resulting in an initial staff reduction of about 200jobs. The changes are expected to save the company about $75million/year. Marathon’s stock fell 75 cents yesterday to $28.19.