The Pascagoula (MS) Gas Plant has informed Destin Pipeline thattwo to three days of maintenance is tentatively planned to begin atthe plant on April 30 and it expected to require shutting in boththe plant and pipeline during that period. The two entities areworking together to minimize the duration of the shut-in, with theplant using last week’s downtime to initiate some of the workoriginally expected to occur during the April shut-in.
Informed
Articles from Informed
Industry Briefs
Koch Gateway Pipeline informed FERC this week that on Dec. 31 itwill change its name to “Gulf South” and convert from a corporationto a limited partnership under Section 266 of the Delawareconversion statute. Koch said the conversion would have no impacton ratepayers. “If, however, Gulf South admits individual partners,through either a private or pubic offering of limited partnershipinterests, it will make a limited Section 4 rate filing within 90days to address any rate impacts of that change,” Koch said in itsDec. 22 filing with the Commission.
FTC, APGA Respond to Concerns over High Prices
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Robert Pitofsky has informed Rep.Henry J. Hyde (R-IL) that his concerns about rising natural gas prices will receive “careful consideration” at the agency, but he stopped short of promising to undertake a full-scale investigation.
Fingers Crossed, Alliance, Vector Shoot for Dec. 1
Alliance Pipeline informed its shippers last week that all debris has been cleared from the pipe, all connections are up and running, and that commercial service will begin on Dec. 1. Commercial service originally was expected to begin on Oct. 1 but was delayed several times because of commissioning problems (see NGI, Nov. 13).
Fingers Crossed, Alliance, Vector Shoot for Dec. 1
Alliance Pipeline informed its shippers yesterday that all debrishas been cleared from the pipe, all connections are up and running,and that commercial service will begin on Dec. 1. Commercial serviceoriginally was expected to begin on Oct. 1 but was delayed severaltimes because of commissioning problems (see Daily GPI, Nov. 10).
FTC, APGA Respond to Concerns of High Gas Prices
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Robert Pitofsky onFriday informed Rep. Henry J. Hyde (R-IL) that his concerns aboutrising natural gas prices will receive “careful consideration” atthe agency, but he stopped short of vowing to undertake afull-scale investigation.
Industry Briefs
The sponsors of Independence Pipeline and the associatedSupplyLink expansion project informed FERC on Friday that theyaccepted the mid-July decision awarding them certificates toconstruct their controversial Midwest-to-East Coast pipelineproject. The order is still subject to rehearing at the Commissionand then possibly to a court review. Combined, the two projects —SupplyLink, an upstream expansion of sponsor ANR Pipeline’sexisting system; and Independence, a 400-mile greenfield pipelinefrom Defiance, OH, to the Leidy Hub — would add about 1 Bcf/d ofwest-to-east firm transportation capacity at $803 million, servingthe growing gas needs of power generators in the east andNortheast. Partners in Independence are ANR, Williams’Transcontinental Gas Pipeline and National Fuel Gas Co.Independence and SupplyLink projects are targeted for in-service inNovember 2002.
Sempra Merging Its Two Utility Distribution Companies
Sempra Energy, the $5 billion San Diego-based utility holdingcompany formed in mid-1998, last week informed key regulators,labor unions, employees and other stakeholders of its intention tomerge the operations of its two major California utilities, SanDiego Gas and Electric Co. and Southern California Gas Co. Sourcesclose to the utility operations confirmed the move. Timing anddetails are to be worked out by an internal team headed by theindividual utilities’ top executives.
Columbia Starts Round Two, NiSource Invited
It looks like NiSource is going to get a run for its money inthe second round of a bidding war for Columbia Energy Group.Columbia informed the Securities and Exchange Commission last weekthat it has received “preliminary indications of interest fromnumerous third parties” during an ongoing open house on the companyand its assets.
Columbia Starts Round Two, NiSource Invited
It looks like NiSource is going to get a run for its money inthe second round of a bidding war for Columbia Energy Group.Columbia informed the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterdaythat it has received “preliminary indications of interest fromnumerous third parties” during an ongoing open house on the companyand its assets.