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Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) of the Senate Energy and NaturalResources Committee announced last week the panel will begin a”section-by-section” markup of legislation May 17, to be followedby a second session on May 24 and possibly other sessions ifnecessary.

Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK) last week urged the Clintonadministration not to intervene in the domestic crude oil market toreduce rising prices. The chairman of the Senate Energy and NaturalResources Committee was especially concerned about reports that theadministration was considering tapping into the Strategic PetroleumReserve (SPR) to bring down prices.

In Washington, it usually pays to know people in high places.But even Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK) couldn’t help Nicholas Bush,the ex-president of the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), whowas sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for embezzlementlast week and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3.5million.

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) unveileda draft electricity restructuring proposal last week that couldn’tbe more friendly to natural gas had the industry itself written themeasure.

Senate Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) willunveil draft electricity restructuring legislation today thatcouldn’t be more friendly to natural gas had the industry itselfwritten the measure.

U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ChairmanFrank Murkowski (R-AK) is planning to take a closer look at thepotential impact on his home state and on the West Coast of theproposed merger of BP Amoco and Atlantic Richfield Co. Thecommittee has scheduled a hearing on June 24 at 9 a.m. to reviewthe merger. BP Amoco-Arco would hold 75% of the Alaska North Slopeoil fields and a similar share of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.It also would have control over 90% of the crude oil delivered tothe West Coast. Its property holdings in Alaska would far exceedthe maximum allowed by state law, although the companies said theyplan to divest some of their leases. The merger would create thelargest oil producer in the U.S. and the world’s second-largestpublicly traded oil firm, with a market capitalization of about$200 billion.

The U.S. Senate is closing in on a set schedule of hearings forall pending federal electric deregulation proposals, Senate EnergyCommittee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) said at a committeehearing Wednesday. The schedule will include a hearing date for theDept. of Energy Secretary Bill Richardson’s administrationproposal, allowing interested parties to comment on itscontroversial 7.5% renewable energy mandate.

Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK), chairman of the Senate Committee onEnergy and Natural Resources, consolidated several recentlegislative measures and a few new ones into two separate pieces oflegislation last week that could have a wide ranging impact on theexploration and production sector.

Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK), chairman of the Senate Committee onEnergy and Natural Resources, consolidated several recentlegislative measures and a few new ones into two separate pieces oflegislation last week that could have a wide ranging impact on theexploration and production sector.