Documents

A judge in Tarrant County, TX, has dismissed four lawsuits against XTO Energy in which plaintiffs alleged that XTO, now a unit of ExxonMobil Corp., shortchanged them in lease payments.

Enron Corp. shareholders could see a record payout from the failed energy trader, according to court documents. Average payouts are expected to be $6.79/share for common stock and $168.50/share for preferred stock in an agreement to settle a 2001 class action lawsuit that is expected to be finalized in February.

Documents filed at FERC reveal that Washington Gas Light (WGL), which serves metropolitan Washington, DC and suburban areas, experienced a significant spike in compression-related natural gas leaks in 1999 when no liquefied natural gas (LNG) was flowing on its system. This was four years prior to the utility reporting a major upswing in leaks that it attributed to deliveries of high Btu-content LNG.

Unocal Corp. apparently was within a whisker of accepting a purchase agreement from CNOOC Ltd. (which is 70% owned by the Chinese government) based on documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Monday — Unocal’s first disclosure of recent board meetings and communications on the matter.

Chevron Corp. would have three days to propose a counteroffer for Unocal Corp. if the Unocal board withdraws its support for the offer, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) requested “documents and other information” from American Electric Power (AEP) in January in connection with an agency investigation of activities affecting the price of natural gas last fall, the Columbus, OH-based utility told the Securities and Exchange Commission in its 10-K filing.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has asked the Bush Administration to hand over documents detailing any contacts the White House may have had related to a controversial underwater transmission cable system linking Connecticut to Long Island that remains idled as its operator works to bury the cable to required depths.

Under indictment for fraud, conspiracy and submitting false documents to a federally insured bank in Topeka, KS, David C. Wittig, chairman and CEO of Westar Energy Inc. resigned last week, two weeks after being put on unpaid administrative leave (see Power Market Today, Nov. 15; Nov. 8).

Under indictment for fraud, conspiracy and submitting false documents to a federally insured bank in Topeka, KS, David C. Wittig, chairman and CEO of Westar Energy Inc. resigned over the weekend, two weeks after being put on unpaid administrative leave (see Power Market Today, Nov. 15; Nov. 8).