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Columbia Energy won’t be sinking dollars into a statewide brandadvertising campaign in Georgia like several other retail marketersdid prior to Nov. 1 start-up. Instead, the company plans anaggressive direct marketing program that focuses on attractivepricing and customer service. Columbia is offering Atlanta GasLight (AGL) customers a guaranteed bundled gas delivery price of39.9 cents per therm, a savings on gas costs of 18% for residentialcustomers and 19% for small commercial buyers compared to AGL’scharges over the last six months.

Thanks to energy industry deregulation, Sempra Energy Solutions,a Sempra Energy subsidiary, entered into a contract Thursday to actas energy consultant to W.W. Grainger Inc., a leading distributorof maintenance, repair, and operating supplies. “We recognize thatenergy is no longer a one-point, one-choice, one-price service,”said Craig Kozak, real estate project manager for W.W. GraingerInc., “For this reason, we have contracted with Sempra EnergySolutions to assist us through the landscape of today’s competitivemarketplace.”

The Connecticut retail gas market “will quickly turn into nomarket at all” if the state Department of Public Utility Control(DPUC) approves the August unbundling tariff filings made by thestate’s three local distribution companies, retail gas marketerssaid last week in a joint brief. The DPUC is expected to issue afirst phase unbundling order later this week that will address theissues presented by the marketers.

International gas producers are sailing into a political stormas they pursue their next drilling target off the East Coast, theCanadian half of Georges Bank between Nova Scotia and New England.Three wholly-owned arms of senior U.S. gas suppliers — TexacoCanada, Chevron Canada and Amoco Canada — are out to persuadeCanadian federal and provincial authorities to let a moratorium onresource exploration on Georges expire.

International gas producers are sailing into a political stormas they pursue their next drilling target off the East Coast, theCanadian half of Georges Bank between Nova Scotia and New England. Three wholly-owned arms of senior U.S. gas suppliers – TexacoCanada, Chevron Canada and Amoco Canada – are out to persuadeCanadian federal and provincial authorities to let a moratorium onresource exploration on Georges expire.

Columbia Energy Group moved into the group of Donaldson, Lufkin& Jenrette’s “top picks” for natural gas investors in thefirm’s latest Natural Gas Outlook 1999-2003. The report is thebiannual update of the firm’s analyses and recommendations in thegas industry.

El Paso Energy’s Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) plans a newinterconnect in Casey County, KY, to deliver an additional 200MMcf/d of gas into Texas Eastern Transmission (Tetco) to servemarkets in parts of Kentucky and southern Ohio. The interconnect isexpected to be in service by Nov. 1. Tennessee plans to acceptnominations at the new point for November 1998 gas flow.

Canadian approvals are expected to fall into place within thenext three months after the U.S. leg of the Alliance PipelineProject earned its environmental seal from FERC last week. “Thisputs us firmly on track,” Alliance spokesman Jay Godfrey said.FERC’s approval of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS)firmed up a schedule that – following a one-year delay due to aprolonged fight before Canada’s National Energy Board – calls forconstruction of the C$3.7-billion (US$2.6-billion), 1.3 Bcf/dpipeline to start next spring. That will be in time for completionand a start on deliveries in the fall of 2000, Godfrey said.

Williams completed and placed into service the first phase ofits Mobile Bay Expansion and Extension project to bring anadditional 350 MMcf/d of gas from East Main Pass Block 261 onshoreto Transco compressor station 82 in Coden, AL. “We have madeexcellent progress completing the first phase of this importantproject,” said Frank Ferazzi, vice president of customer serviceand rates for Williams’ Transco.