Examine

Commission staff, former commissioners and industry representatives will testify Nov. 16 at a conference being held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to examine its implementation of FERC’s enforcement authority as expanded by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said Thursday it will hold a hearing on Sept. 18 at its headquarters in Washington, DC, to examine the oversight of energy trading on regulated exchanges and exempt commercial markets (ECMs).

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted a request by House members to examine the accuracy and effectiveness of the royalty collection system of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Services (MMS). The examination is part of a growing investigation into missing price thresholds on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) offshore leases in 1998 and 1999.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted a request by House members to examine the accuracy and effectiveness of the royalty collection system of the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Services (MMS). The examination is part of a growing investigation into missing price thresholds on Gulf of Mexico (GOM) offshore leases in 1998 and 1999.

As part of “energy week,” a House subcommittee has scheduled a hearing Wednesday to examine the effects of high natural gas prices on small businesses and present an overview of the gas supply picture.

Canadian Utilities Limited, a division of Alberta-based ATCO Ltd., will examine “strategic alternatives” for its gas gathering and processing and natural gas liquids midstream business. Options include reorganization into a business trust or newly created company, sale to a third party or continued operation under the existing corporate structure, the company said. Canadian Utilities has retained advisers to assist it in considerations. ATCO has more than 7,000 employees engaged in power generation, utilities and global enterprises.

A House subcommittee has scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to examine escalating natural gas prices and a tight supply situation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina slamming into the energy-rich Gulf Coast two weeks ago.

Royal Dutch Shell plc said it will appeal a federal judge’s ruling that its shareholders had “adequately” shown reason for the court to examine allegations concerning restatements of its oil and natural gas reserves last year. The class action lawsuit by two pension funds was filed last year questioning whether Shell, and its executives and auditors purposely omitted important facts concerning the company’s restatements (see Daily GPI, June 28, 2004).

Consol Energy Inc. and FirstEnergy Corp. have formed a joint task force to evaluate advanced clean coal technologies, including Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), combustion of waste coal, and other technologies that can potentially meet future baseload power generation needs while reducing the overall environmental impact of generating electricity from coal.