Equity

FERC last Thursday rejected a contested Kern River Gas Transmission rate settlement, finding that the 12.50% return on equity (ROE) in the settlement rates was excessive and would result in unjust and unreasonable rates. FERC instead determined that the Wyoming-to-California pipeline’s ROE should be set at 11.55%.

FERC Thursday rejected a contested Kern River Gas Transmission rate settlement, finding that the 12.50% return on equity (ROE) in the settlement rates was excessive and would result in unjust and unreasonable rates. FERC instead determined that the Wyoming-to-California pipeline’s ROE should be set at 11.55%.

The dramatic tightening of money and credit markets, combined with plunging equity markets over the last few weeks, have exposed natural gas, oil and other commodities to “major downside risks,” a Deutsche Bank analyst said Friday.

The dramatic tightening of money and credit markets, combined with plunging equity markets over the last few weeks, have exposed natural gas, oil and other commodities to “major downside risks,” a Deutsche Bank analyst said Friday.

Ending a rocky week of commodity and equity market ups and downs that was dominated by news of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and the sales of Merrill Lynch and Constellation Energy, October natural gas futures on Friday ended up quietly closing at $7.531, down 9 cents on the day but 16.5 cents higher than the previous week’s close.

Spectra Energy Partners LP completed its previously announced acquisition of the equity interests of Saltville Gas Storage Co. LLC and the P-25 pipeline from Spectra Energy Corp. on April 4, it said Tuesday.

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP announced last Monday that it plans to sell $700 million of new equity to Loews Corp., which currently owns 68% of Boardwalk Pipeline’s common units, to help fund its ongoing pipeline expansion projects. The transaction would raise Loews’ interest in Boardwalk’s common units to about 72-73%, a company official said.

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP Monday said it plans to sell $700 million of new equity to Loews Corp., which currently owns 68% of Boardwalk Pipeline’s common units, to help fund its ongoing pipeline expansion projects. The transaction would raise Loews’ interest in Boardwalk’s common units to about 72-73%, a company official said.

As part of Morgan Stanley’s environmental initiative, the firm said last week it will acquire a minority equity stake in NGEN Partners LLC, a venture capital firm with energy sector expertise that invests in companies focused on clean technologies.