Displace

North Dakota passed another oil production milestone in November, averaging more than a half-million b/d, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the state Industrial Commission.

Germany and California’s largest cities — Berlin and Los Angeles — are eyeing two starkly different transportation alternatives, seeking different ways to displace gasoline dependence.

With the transition to more seasonal springtime conditions continuing to displace the winter-like weather that lingered through much of March in several areas, prices fell at a large majority of points Thursday. The previous day’s further drop of 8.5 cents by May futures, extending a string of screen weakness into its fourth day, put more downward pressure on cash numbers.

State law and bankruptcy reorganization criteria make it a longshot that any of the public or private-sector proposals to buy Portland General Electric (PGE) will displace the current plan to distribute the Enron Corp. utility’s stock to the Chapter 11-reorganized holding company’s major creditors. The possibility of another buyer emerging is not impossible, but unlikely, according to sources at both the utility and holding company.