Evidenced

The current natural gas market is proving a minefield for smallretail marketers, as evidenced by the drop-out rate. WesternNatural Gas, a Dallas-based marketing company, announced last weekit was phasing out its retail marketing business in the face ofincreasing natural gas prices and the capital requirementsnecessary to obtain supplies.

Pennsylvania-based PPL Corp. has recently taken on a “Go West”theme, as evidenced by its plans to build 1,800 MW of newelectricity generation on the left coast at an estimateddevelopment cost of $900 million.

With oil and natural gas prices soaring, the market for Canadianproducing and development properties has been heating up, asevidenced by property sales announced recently by PhillipsPetroleum and Apache Canada.

With oil and natural gas prices soaring, the market for Canadianproducing and development properties has been heating up, asevidenced by property sales announced recently by Phillps Petroleumand Apache Canada.

Customer choice in the United States is picking up steam, asevidenced in the American Gas Association’s (AGA) Energy Analysis2000 update released last month. The study follows natural gaspurchasing trends for the industrial, electric utility, commercialand residential sectors.

Customer choice in the United States is picking up steam, asevidenced in the American Gas Association’s (AGA) Energy Analysis2000 update released yesterday. The study follows natural gaspurchasing trends for the industrial, electric utility, commercialand residential sectors.

NRG Energy Inc., which has evidenced some pretty big capitalplans of late, is going public. The Minneapolis-based subsidiary ofNorthern States Power filed for an offering of 18% of its commonstock. The maximum aggregate price of the offer is $600 million.All proceeds will remain with NRG Energy.

Vastar Resources has placed much of its hopes for the future inthe Gulf of Mexico as evidenced by its recent deal to acquireinterests in 23 producing fields through a three-way deal withAtlantic Richfield and Mobil (See Daily GPI Aug. 5, 1998). However,the company realizes it is not alone in pinning its hopes on theGulf and was wise to begin its Gulf of Mexico program when it did.