Decided

The federal government last week decided not to seek a U.S. Supreme Court review of lower court rulings involving Duke Energy and whether it violated New Source Review (NSR) rules regarding certain modifications to its power plants. The company is “very pleased” with the news, Duke spokesperson Randy Wheeless said.

A federal claims court judge decided earlier in the month that 13 oil and natural gas exploration companies are collectively entitled to $1.1 billion in restitution for bonuses paid between 1968 and 1984 for offshore drilling leases they were never able to exercise because of subsequent federal policies that discouraged drilling. The joint venture between ExxonMobil and Shell, Aera Energy, was the largest individual holder of the lease rights.

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) decided Tuesday to establish emergency billing practices to create some relief for customers from high natural gas and power costs this winter.

After trading the November natural gas futures contract within a slim 25-cent range on Wednesday, traders at the end of the session decided to put the market back where it began the day and await fresh storage inventory news Thursday morning. The prompt month ended up settling at $13.524, up half a penny for the day.

The House Resources Committee has decided to hold off taking legislation that would open up more federal waters and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to energy development to the House floor this week in an attempt to deal with the concerns of the Florida delegation, a spokeswoman for the panel said.

After its meteoric rise from a July 25 low of $7.185 to a Monday high of $8.870, September natural gas futures decided to put in a rare and relatively quiet day of trading on Tuesday.

In a review of its corporate strategy, Western Gas Resources said its board has decided not to spin off its midstream assets into a master limited partnership. After consulting with independent financial advisors, Western determined that a spin-off or sale would not benefit stockholders at this time. The company also announced significant progress in its Powder River Basin drilling program and said it plans to bring its expertise in unconventional gas exploration and production to the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB).

At the request of El Paso Natural Gas Co. and in response to its own concerns about increasing the state’s access to natural gas supply, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Tuesday decided to write to El Paso and the Navajo Nation urging the two sides to reach an agreement allowing the interstate pipeline operator to expand the width of an existing east-west corridor that crosses a large chunk of the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. The two sides have been in negotiations for months without any resolution.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. earlier this month decided to pursue construction of a backup pipeline along a different route through the Sacramento Delta to link its major underground storage facility with its backbone transmission pipeline system. If the permitting and construction proceed as planned, the added link could be operational in November 2006, the utility said Friday.