Eight

As expected, Barrett Resources Corp.’s request for eight waterdischarge permits to operate in the Powder River Basin wereapproved last week by the Wyoming Department of EnvironmentalQuality. But Barrett and other producers operating in the prolificcoalbed methane basin may be holding their breath to see if thepermit approval process slows down following an anticipated statepublic hearing Jan. 3 (see Daily GPI, Nov. 6).

Transwestern Pipeline is going through a growth spurt with eightnew interconnect projects in service or under way, which will add300 MMcf/d in market area deliveries and 285 MMcf/d in new supplyreceipts. The new or expanded connection points will enhanceshipper access to both new supplies and markets.

Transwestern Pipeline is going through a growth spurt with eightnew interconnect projects in service or under way, which will add300 MMcf/d in market area deliveries and 285 MMcf/d in new supplyreceipts. The new or expanded connection points will enhanceshipper access to both new supplies and markets.

DukeSolutions is hauling in eight independent power facilitiesfor $81 million from Houston-based Waste Management Inc., and hasplans to invest another $20 million into the cogeneration andrenewable energy facilities in California, Pennsylvania, Maine andFlorida. Together, the facilities generate 244 MW and revenues overthe next 15 years could exceed $1 billion.

Deaths related to pipeline ruptures and/or explosions rose byeight to 26 last year, said a new National Transportation SafetyBoard (NTSB) report, which noted that most of the fatalitiesoccurred on natural gas pipelines.

Shareholders of Kinder Morgan, Inc. and KN Energy, Inc. approvedthe terms of the previously announced $925 million merger of thetwo companies. Ninety-eight percent of KN stockholders who voted onthe transaction approved a proposal to issue 41.5 million shares ofKN common stock pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement.Additionally, ninety-seven percent of KN shareholders votingapproved a proposal to amend the company’s articles ofincorporation to change the name of the company to Kinder Morgan,Inc. upon completion of the merger. Stockholders of Kinder Morgan,Inc., a privately held company, also approved the merger. RichKinder, chairman and CEO of Kinder Morgan and future CEO of thecombined company said the merger remains on track to be completedin early October. The planned merger will combine the generalpartner of the largest independent refined products pipelinecompany in the U.S. with one of the largest natural gas pipelineoperators.

PaineWebber has revised its composite spot forecast for naturalgas prices upwards by eight cents to $2.20/MMBtu for the remainderof the year. This compares to an industry consensus of $2.08/MMBtu.

Surprising even itself, Consumers Energy announced last weekthat in only eight months of the Gas Customer Choice program,100,000 of its customers switched to an alternate supplier,reaching the limit for the first year of the plan. Out of the 10suppliers vying for Consumers’ market, Sempra Energy affiliateEnergy America-Michigan topped the list by signing 90% of theenrollments, a Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC)spokesperson said.

Just eight months after it merged with United Meridian Corp.,Ocean Energy Inc. agreed last week to merge with Seagull EnergyCorp. in a tax-free, stock-for-stock deal creating the 10th largestindependent U.S. oil and gas company based on a pro forma totalmarket equity capitalization of $1.8 billion.