Infrastructure

Threatening takeover of the state’s electric infrastructure,California officials Tuesday continued their unwavering call forthe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to provide consumerrefunds and cost-based rates to stabilize wholesale markets in thestate and throughout the western U.S.

ExxonMobil Corp. has selected mySAP.com as the primary backbonefor the company’s global business infrastructure project, accordingto the German firm, SAP AG, which bills itself as the world’sleading provider of inter-enterprise software solutions. The systemwill be designed to consolidate systems for the recently mergedExxon and Mobil companies, while improving business processes for100,000 employees worldwide. “We have been customers of SAP sincethe late 1980s, and we are excited to continue to build upon ourinvestment in SAP solutions to meet our business objectives ofmaintaining best-in-class business performance for our BusinessLines,” said Jerry Kohlenberger, president of the ExxonMobil GlobalServices Co. “By consolidating and upgrading all systems tomySAP.com, we will tighten synergies around the globe andstreamline business processes.”

Mitchell Energy & Development Corp., which two weeks agoannounced it was increasing its capital budget nearly $50 millionmore this year, said it has completed two system expansion projectsin North Texas, boosting both natural gas sales and gas liquidsproduction.

PECO’s Exelon Infrastructure Services Inc. (EIS) announced a newservice yesterday in which gas utilities are offered a newcured-in-place relining technology, called starliner, forrehabilitating faulty mains and services. Utilities perform morethan 150,000 gas service line restorations and 4,500 miles of gasmain restoration each year, Exelon said. The majority of this workinvolves the traditional open-cut excavation. Unlike straight orrigid liners, cured-in-place liners can be installed through bends,fully open fittings, and where there may be variations in internaldiameters. This new service minimizes costly tasks like trafficcontrol and digging up and restoring streets, which account for 70%of the cost in gas line restoration work. Starliner has been usedsuccessfully in Europe since 1991 to restore over one million feetof gas main. EIS is the first construction company to offerstarliner to the U.S. market.

A new pipeline may be needed in Southern California to eliminateimpending gas supply and infrastructure constraints, which couldbecome critical in the next few years, according to participants ata one-day roundtable last week in San Diego. Demand is expected tofar exceed supply in the burgeoning southern end of California andon both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border, where population,industrial and energy growth are surpassing expectations.

A new pipeline may be needed in Southern California to eliminateimpending gas supply and infrastructure constraints, which couldbecome critical in the next few years, according to participants ata one-day roundtable set up by the California Public UtilitiesCommission (CPUC) Tuesday in San Diego. Demand is expected to farexceed supply in the burgeoning southern end of California and onboth sides of the U.S.-Mexican border, where population, industrialand energy growth are surpassing expectations,

Offering to manage energy and related infrastructure services,Sempra Energy’s energy services provider has inked a deal with oneof the nation’s largest auto parts retail chains. Under the dealSempra Energy Solutions will provide energy information and billingmanagement services for 718 retail outlets in 37 states.

Sempra Energy International is in the running for its third gasproject in Mexico with its bid to build distribution infrastructureto serve the cities of Torreon, Gomez, Palacio, Ciudad Lerdo, andDurango with the La Laguna-Durango system. Mexico’s EnergyRegulatory Commission (CRE) will announce the winning bidder nolater than May 20.