Definitive

Continuing an arrangement first forged in 1981, Conoco announced a definitive agreement last week to manage DuPont’s gas supply needs. DuPont is one of the largest U.S. industrial gas consumers and Conoco’s largest supply customer. Neither the financial terms nor energy volumes were disclosed.

Columbia Energy Group (CEG) announced yesterday a marketingjoint venture with Metromedia Energy, Inc. (MME). The venture,called Columbia Metromedia Energy, is subject to execution of adefinitive agreement and other conditions and is expected to beoperational by the end of the first quarter of 2000. No financialterms were announced.

Conoco continued an arrangement first forged in 1981 by announcing a definitive agreement yesterday to manage DuPont’s gas supply needs. DuPont is one of the largest U.S. industrial gas consumers and Conoco’s largest supply customer. Neither the financial terms nor energy volumes were disclosed.

Apache Corp. made a definitive agreement to acquire producingproperties and other assets in Alberta, British Columbia andSaskatchewan, Canada with proved reserves of 87.5 MMBoe from ShellCanada Limited for C$770 million (US$524 million at currentexchange rates).

AES Corp., a world-wide power generation company, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire New Energy Ventures Inc. (NEV), an energy service firm for large commercial and industrial buyers, in a transaction valued at approximately $90 million.

AES Corp., a world-wide power generation company, announced thatit has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire New EnergyVentures Inc. (NEV), an energy service firm for large commercialand industrial buyers, in a transaction valued at approximately $90million.

Equitable Resources signed a definitive agreement to buyCarnegie Natural Gas Co., a gas utility and USX-Marathon Groupsubsidiary serving 9,000 residential, commercial and industrialcustomers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, for an undisclosed sumlast Tuesday. The purchase increased Equitable’s natural gasthroughput 27% and increased its production in Appalachia 9%. Thecompanies hope to close the deal late this year or early next year.

Equitable Resources signed a definitive agreement to buyCarnegie Natural Gas Co., a gas utility and USX-Marathon Groupsubsidiary serving 9,000 residential, commercial and industrialcustomers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, for an undisclosed sumTuesday. The purchase increased Equitable’s natural gas throughput27% and increased its production in Appalachia 9%. The companieshope to close the deal late this year or early next year.

UtiliCorp United and Empire District Electric Co. have announcedthey have signed a definitive agreement to merge the twoMissouri-based companies in a stock and cash transaction valued at$800 million, including the assumption of debt.