Downgrades

Fitch Ratings warned Thursday that several domestic interstate natural gas pipelines could face rating downgrades if they lose their competitive advantage or face recontracting pressures as they try to adjust to shifting forces of supply and demand.

Fitch Ratings warned Thursday that several domestic interstate natural gas pipelines could face rating downgrades if they lose their competitive advantage or face recontracting pressures as they try to adjust to shifting forces of supply and demand.

Under pressure to come up with cash to pay down debt following credit ratings downgrades last week by Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s, Calpine Corp. said last week that it is considering selling all or a portion of its U.S. natural gas assets, which include about 389 Bcfe of proved gas reserves.

Under pressure to come up with cash to pay down debt following credit ratings downgrades last week by Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s, Calpine Corp. said Tuesday that it is considering selling all or a portion of its U.S. natural gas assets, which include about 389 Bcfe of proved gas reserves.

Rumors of a possible Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) inquiry, credit ratings downgrades and dire analyst forecasts pummeled El Paso Corp.’s share price last week, after the Houston-based company revised its proved oil and gas reserves downward by 41%. After beginning the week at $8.81, El Paso shares were hovering just above $7 a share on Friday.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the ratings of Port Huron, MI-based gas utility company SEMCO Energy Inc. to Ba2 from Baa3 and said it was continuing a review for possible further downgrade because of the company’s “very high leverage, weak capitalization, low profitability and cash flow relative to its debt and refinancing risk.” About $534 million in debt was affected.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the ratings of Port Huron, MI-based gas utility company SEMCO Energy Inc. to Ba2 from Baa3 and said it was continuing a review for possible further downgrade because of the company’s “very high leverage, weak capitalization, low profitability and cash flow relative to its debt and refinancing risk.” About $534 million in debt was affected.

Having been eyewitnesses to a wave of debt rating downgrades, anemic wholesale power prices and the collapse of the once-mighty Enron over the past year, a majority of power industry executives recently surveyed don’t expect the sector to rebound until 2004 at the earliest.

El Paso Corp.’s credit ratings teeter on the edge of junk status after a downgrade by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services on Tuesday. S&P said El Paso remains on CreditWatch with negative implications and could fall deep into junk levels if FERC sides with an administrative law judge in concluding that the company manipulated the California natural gas market.