Joined

CMS Energy, Ameren Corp., KeySpan and UGI Corp. have joinedAllegheny Energy, Allete (formerly Minnesota Power) and PPL Corp.in the formation of Enporion Inc., a global e-procurement exchangefor the energy industry. The companies see the potential for bigsavings in pooling their buying power over the new exchange.

CMS Energy, Ameren Corp., KeySpan and UGI Corp. have joinedAllegheny Energy, Allete (formerly Minnesota Power) and PPL Corp.in the formation of Enporion Inc., a global e-procurement exchangefor the energy industry. The companies see the potential for bigsavings in pooling their buying power over the new exchange.

For Anadarko, growing in leaps and bounds before it joined forces with United Pacific Resources, a merger just made sense. For EOG Resources, which at one time had been part of mega-marketer Enron, smaller is better, and a merger would not make sense. There is no denying, however, that the disparate strategies have worked for both.

Shell Oil joined the ranks Thursday of major producers who havesettled sizeable royalty disputes with the Department of Justice.The company has agreed to pay the U.S. $56 million to settle claimsthat it underpaid royalties on natural gas produced on Federalleases.

William A. (Andy) Lang has joined Coast Energy Group (CEG), aSugar Land, TX division of CornerStone Propane Partners L.P., aspresident and COO. Lang most recently directed activities of MHPStorage as head of NiSource’s EnergyUSA-TPC affiliate. Prior tothat he was a managing director of Southern Co. Energy Marketingand senior vice president at Vastar Resources. Coast Energy, a fullservice energy solutions company, supplies, purchases, processesand markets over 48,000 b/d of natural gas liquids.

In an effort to streamline its online trading process andstrengthen energy trading efficiency, HoustonStreet Exchange hasjoined the independent and not-for-profit Organizaton for theAdvancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). Theexchange says its decision to join marks the industry’s firstmaneuver to bring open standards to wholesale energy trading.

In an effort to streamline its online trading process andstrengthen energy trading efficiency, HoustonStreet Exchange hasjoined the independent and not-for-profit Organizaton for theAdvancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS). Theexchange says its decision to join marks the industry’s firstmaneuver to bring open standards to wholesale energy trading.

Three-month-old Vectren Corp., the Indiana-based energy holdingcompany formed when Indiana Energy Inc.and Sigcorp Inc. joinedforces, now only awaits approval from various federal and statecommissions before it completes its acquisition of the natural gasdistribution assets of The Dayton Power and Light Co. (DPL).Vectren officials were notified last week that the U.S. Departmentof Justice has completed its investigation of the proposedacquisition, clearing a major roadblock for the company.

Three-month-old Vectren Corp., the Indiana-based energy holdingcompany formed when Indiana Energy Inc. and Sigcorp Inc. joinedforces, now only awaits approval from various federal and statecommissions before it completes its acquisition of the natural gasdistribution assets of The Dayton Power and Light Co. (DPL).Vectren officials were notified yesterday that the U.S. Departmentof Justice has completed its investigation of the proposedacquisition, clearing a major roadblock for the company.