District

TransTexas Gas Corp. said the United States Bankruptcy Court forthe Southern District of Texas confirmed the company’s Chapter 11reorganization plan, which takes effect as soon as possible.

Debt-laden Forcenergy Inc. of Miami Wednesday receivedconfirmation of its reorganization from the United StatesBankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans.

One of the nation’s largest and fastest growing municipalutilities, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Tuesdaysigned a multi-million-dollar five-year deal for 150 MW ofpurchased power from Calpine Corp. Terms of the agreement werebeing kept confidential. The deal starts in the summer of 2001when Calpine’s first new natural gas-fired merchant generationplants in Sutter County begins operations about 50 miles north ofSacramento in northern California. Now under construction, theSutter plant is the first of a series that Calpine and othermerchant generators are planning to build in California over thenext five to ten years.

Forcenergy Inc. of Miami said its bankruptcy reorganization planwas approved Oct. 22 by the United States Bankruptcy Court for theEastern District of Louisiana. A confirmation hearing is scheduledfor Dec. 13. On Nov. 16 the bankruptcy court extended the timeperiod for which only the company has the exclusive right to file aplan of reorganization. No other plan has been submitted or can besubmitted during the company’s exclusivity period.

Independent producer Forcenergy Inc. of Miami said itsbankruptcy reorganization plan was approved Oct. 22 by the UnitedStates Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Aconfirmation hearing is scheduled for Dec. 13. On Nov. 16 thebankruptcy court extended the time period for which only thecompany has the exclusive right to file a plan of reorganization.No other plan has been submitted or can be submitted during thecompany’s exclusivity period.

U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan yesterday sentencedNicholas Bush, former president of the Natural Gas SupplyAssociation (NGSA), to 41 months in prison for embezzling nearly $3million from the producer trade group.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th District has reversed andremanded an order in which FERC asserted jurisdiction over two KNWattenberg Transmission laterals that provide connecting servicefrom Colorado Interstate Gas to two food-processing plants in FortMorgan, CO., thus bypassing the municipal gas provider.

Houston Industries Wholesale Energy Group has opened an officein the financial district of San Francisco to help coordinate thecompany’s California generation, power marketing and associatedregulatory activities. “Houston Industries is a major player inCalifornia energy markets with nearly 4,000 MW of power generationcapacity and more scheduled to go on line in the region in 1999,”said Charles Oglesby, chairman of the HI Wholesale Energy Group.Mark Davis, regional marketing director, opened the San Franciscooffice in November.