Firm

As TransCanada Corp. pursues various parts of the spurned Keystone XL oil pipeline project, shippers who hold long-term firm contracts equating to 850,000 b/d are continuing to stick with the C$7 billion, 1,700-mile pipeline project, TransCanada CEO Russ Girling told an institutional investment conference in British Columbia (BC) Thursday.

As TransCanada Corp. pursues various parts of the spurned Keystone XL oil pipeline project, shippers who hold long-term firm contracts equating to 850,000 b/d are continuing to stick with the C$7 billion, 1,700-mile pipeline project, TransCanada CEO Russ Girling told an institutional investment conference in British Columbia (BC) Thursday.

TransCanada Corp. plans to continue to pursue various routes for the spurned Keystone XL oil pipeline project, and shippers holding long-term firm contracts equating to 850,000 b/d also plan to stick with the C$7 billion, 1,700-mile pipeline project, CEO Russ Girling said Thursday.

Western Energy Alliance’s (WEA) board of directors has selected Tim Wigley to be the trade association’s new president. Wigley comes to WEA from PAC/WEST, where he managed the firm’s Washington, DC, operations. From 1998-2002 Wigley served as president of the Oregon Forest Industries Council, an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the interests of industrial forestland owners. WEA represents 400 companies engaged in all aspects of environmentally responsible exploration and production of oil and natural gas in the West.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has opened an investigation into the bankruptcy of securities firm MF Global Inc. and a $600 million shortfall in customer securities.

Porter Bennett, president of Evergreen, CO-based industry consultant Bentek Energy LLC, will retire at the end of the year. Bennett, who founded Bentek in 1985, will be an adviser to the firm. Bentek was sold to Platts, a division of the McGraw-Hill Cos. Inc., earlier this year. James Simpson, who is currently vice president and general manager, will become president, the company said. Simpson previously modeled large structured transactions in both gas and power for Enron North America and led natural gas marketing and trading at MarkWest Hydrocarbon and Eprime Inc.

Porter Bennett, president of Evergreen, CO-based industry consultant Bentek Energy LLC, will retire at the end of the year. Bennett, who founded Bentek in 1985, will be an adviser to the firm. Bentek was sold to Platts, a division of the McGraw-Hill Cos. Inc., earlier this year. James Simpson, who is currently vice president and general manager, will become president, the company said. Simpson previously modeled large structured transactions in both gas and power for Enron North America and led natural gas marketing and trading at MarkWest Hydrocarbon and Eprime Inc.

The meltdown of securities firm giant MF Global Holdings Ltd. is a “fresh slap-in-the-face reminder” of why the country needs tougher financial regulations, a member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said Tuesday.

Although Norse Energy Corp. ASA has put most of its leasehold in New York up for sale, the company said it hopes to continue doing business in the state — especially through a joint venture (JV) — and is currently in negotiations with several interested parties over its assets.