Delays

Merrill Lynch urged investors in energy marketing stocks to”proceed with caution” during this period of “finger pointing” inCalifornia. “Outrageous claims and ignorance appear to be thethemes of the day,” the Wall Street analysts said in a bulletintitled “Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and Leprechauns Do Exist -Just Ask California.”

DTE Energy knocked off more than $400 million from the cost ofacquiring MCN Energy Group last week, according to a revised mergeragreement approved by the boards of both companies.

DTE Energy knocked off more than $400 million from the cost ofacquiring MCN Energy Group yesterday, according to a revised mergeragreement approved by the boards of both companies.

Ending concerns that related pipelines might not start serviceon the same day, both the Alliance and Vector pipelines opened forbusiness on Friday.

Vector Pipeline began operations Friday, completing pipelineconstruction and the start of transportation service on a newnatural gas pipeline system. The 285-mile 42-inch pipeline connectsto 59 miles of existing 36-inch pipe leased line in Michigan, andcrosses 1,900 tracts of land in the United States and Canada.

Citing unanticipated delays, Tennessee said Tuesday thatrehabilitation work on its Donna Lateral in South Texas, scheduledfor Oct. 23-24, must be extended at least into today. Until furthernotice, nominations will continue to be refused at 18 meters.

Due to startup delays, El Paso has extended maintenance on theWaha GE turbine and will notify shippers when it returns toservice. Meanwhile, the IMLWAHA interconnect will remain limited to60 MMcf/d. Waha Solar turbine maintenance has been delayed untilcompletion of work on the GE turbine. One-day maintenance on theHackberry 2 turbine that was scheduled for Sunday will bepostponed, El Paso said.

Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline officials predict there couldbe a service delay and a rate increase on its 164,000 MMBtu/d SaintJohn lateral because clearing work has been stopped illegally byunion workers. Work was scheduled to begin last Monday on theproject, but union laborers physically prevented clearing by HEFIndustries Ltd., the hired excavation/clearing contractor, whichuses non-union labor.

California’s natural gas purchasing program for about 120 stateoperated facilities, totaling more than 14 Bcf, annually has beenpostponed until June 7 and revised due to increasingly uncertainmarket conditions, according to the head of the state’s buyingprogram in the state General Services Department. Bids in therevised program are due from the state’s seven pre-approved biddersby 8:30 a.m. on the 7th. Sempra Energy Trading is the currentsupplier.