Issued

Spectra Energy Partners LP is acquiring a 38.76% interest in Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline LLC (M&N) from Spectra Energy Corp. for $319 million in cash and $56 million in newly issued partnership units. M&N owns a 338-mile mainline interstate natural gas pipeline that extends from the border of Canada near Baileyville, ME, to northeastern Massachusetts with delivery capability of 0.8 Bcf/d. The pipeline’s location and interconnects with Spectra’s transmission system link regional natural gas supplies to the Northeast United States and Atlantic Canadian markets. M&N cash flows are backed by an average contract life of approximately 19 years and more than 90% fee-based revenues. The deal is being be through a combination of debt and equity; closing is set for the end of October.

Australia’s Amadeus Energy Ltd. plans to acquire Fort Worth, TX-based Lonestar Resources Inc. — a player in the Eagle Ford, Bakken and Barnett shales — via the purchase of Lonestar’s holding company, Ecofin Energy Resources Plc of the United Kingdom.

Halcon Resources Corp. on Monday said it is acquiring a shelf of oil-weighted producing and undeveloped properties in the Williston Basin in a cash-and-equity transaction with Petro-Hunt LLC worth $1.45 billion.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued for public comment a proposed decision by an administrative law judge (ALJ) and an alternate proposed decision by Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon regarding requests by San Diego Gas and Electric and Southern California Gas Co. to recover from ratepayers costs related to wildfires that affect their operations. The ALJ’s proposal rejects the utilities’ requests, finding that the companies haven’t proven that the proposed rates would be just and reasonable. Simon’s alternate proposal partially approves the utilities’ requests by limiting the wildfire costs to 90% of uninsured payments that are more than $10 million per wildfire and imposing restrictions on the recoveries. “As assigned commissioner to this state’s fire safety proceedings, I harbor grave concerns regarding the liability risk surrounding critical energy system infrastructure in this fire-prone region of our great state,” said Simon. Comments on the proceeding, No. A.09-08-020, are due by Nov. 5; reply comments are due by Nov. 13. CPUC could vote on the proposals as soon as Nov. 29. For information contact the CPUC Public Advisor’s Office at (415) 703-2074, (866) 849-8390 or e-mail public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued a proposed decision that would authorize a pipeline safety enhancement plan proposed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and require PG&E to absorb about two-thirds of the cost.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has issued a proposed decision that would authorize a pipeline safety enhancement plan proposed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) and require PG&E to absorb about two-thirds of the cost.

Looking to allay concerns from customers that some of its new product offerings will force a change in how they trade, CME Group issued an open letter last week that more fully explains how the exchange will operate once Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act regulations on swap dealer registrations going into effect Oct. 12. The exchange also explained in more depth the previously announced rollout of a broad suite of new natural gas and power contracts that will be listed as futures on CME Globex, the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) trading floor and CME ClearPort, and will be available for trading on CME Direct, a platform offering side-by-side trading and straight-through processing and clearing of exchange-listed and over the counter (OTC) energy markets.

Looking to allay concerns from customers that some of its new product offerings will force a change in how they trade, CME Group issued an open letter Monday that more fully explains how the exchange will operate once Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act regulations on swap dealer registrations go into effect Oct. 12. The exchange also explained in more depth the previously announced rollout of a broad suite of new natural gas and power contracts that will be listed as futures on CME Globex, the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) trading floor and CME ClearPort, and will be available for trading on CME Direct, a platform offering side-by-side trading and straight-through processing and clearing of exchange-listed and over the counter (OTC) energy markets.

FERC Tuesday issued a favorable environmental assessment (EA) of Creole Trail Pipeline Co. LP’s proposal to modify its system to accommodate the delivery of raw gas to a liquefaction project that Cheniere Energy affiliates Sabine Pass LNG and Sabine Pass Liquefaction are planning to build at the existing import terminal in Cameron Parish, LA.