Federal

ANR Pipeline received Federal Energy Regulatory Commissionapproval to offer two, new flexible transportation servicesspecifically tailored to meet the needs of electric-generationcustomers. The new firm and interruptible transportation services,FTS-3 and ITS-3, respectively, feature variable hourly flows, shortnotice start-up and more delivery flexibility than are provided bytraditional services. “The primary market for these services iselectric generators, including new peaking plants that often favorusing clean-burning natural gas but require the ability to start-upand shut down on shorter notice than is provided by the normalnomination and scheduling process,” said ANR President Jeffrey A.Connelly. “Our new services are intended to meet the requirementsof these shippers for greater flexibility in managing theirtransportation needs.” For more information on the new services,contact an ANR marketing representative via ANR’s Web site atwww.anrpl.com or by calling 1-800-8-ASK-ANR.

Phillips Petroleum Co. completed its acquisition of ARCO’s Alaskanbusinesses and gained Federal Trade Commission approval of the deal,which became effective retroactive to Jan. 1. The deal was announcedin March (see Daily GPI, March 17).

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) released results of astudy evaluating the role of the federal Outer Continental Shelf(OCS) in supplying future U.S. gas demand. Results were presentedat an industry symposium held in Houston yesterday.

Technological changes and the natural gas industry probably willdo more to push electric industry restructuring than Congress orfederal regulators ever do, according to Washington, DC-basedrepresentatives for a national group for large energy consumers andthe electric utility industry’s trade association, speaking at theGasMart/Power 2000 meeting in Denver earlier this month.

Technological changes and the natural gas industry probably willdo more to push electric industry restructuring than Congress orfederal regulators ever do, according to Washington, DC-basedrepresentatives for a national group for large energy consumers andthe electric utility industry’s trade association, speaking at theGasMart/Power 2000 meeting in Denver last week.

Interest in pipeline capacity auctions is far from dead at theFederal Energy Regulatory Commission. Just ask FERC’s Kevin Madden,who hasn’t given up on them and thinks they have a major role toplay in the natural gas industry.

Now that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finally blessedthe merger of BP Amoco and ARCO, what’s next? “A lot ofcost-cutting very quickly,” said Edward Jones analyst Kate Warne,who admitted to being stumped for anything else to say about thedeal that was a year in the making (see NGI, April 5, 1999).

The Federal Trade Commission finally smiled upon the merger ofBP Amoco and ARCO yesterday, accepting sweeping divestitures inAlaska as assurance the companies’ pairing will not beanti-competitive. The merger was first announced just over a yearago (see Daily GPI, April 5, 1999).

Absent a showing of market support, the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission staff last week threatened to dismiss PetalGas Storage L.L.C.’s amended proposal in which it seeks to expandthe deliverability of its storage facilities in Mississippi.