Joined

Two oil field service titans joined forces yesterday to create anew seismic oil and gas exploration business, a move that analystssay will reshape the seismic industry. Baker Hughes andSchlumberger have signed a memorandum of understanding under whichSchlumberger’s surface seismic business Geco-Prakla and BakerHughes’ seismic unit Western Geophysical would become Western GECO.

In a rare display of unanimity, major and independent gasproducers last week joined forces to ask FERC to stay the removalof the price caps on short-term capacity release transactions untilOrder 637 undergoes full rehearing at the Commission and in thecourts. The price caps are due to be lifted on March 26.

Major and independent gas producers have joined forces to askFERC to stay the removal of the price caps on short-term capacityrelease transactions until Order 637 undergoes full rehearing atthe Commission and in the courts.

Coastal says it has joined Peoples Energy to build a 130-milepipeline from Indiana to Wisconsin because the market needs thepipe. Others, especially backers of the proposed Guardian Pipeline,say the parent of ANR Pipeline is merely trying to protect its lockon the Wisconsin market.

Even with continuing mild weather and an indifferent screen, theEast joined the West in a united front of rising prices Wednesday.Gains were fairly uniform across the board, ranging from about anickel to a dime. CIG, which had been lagging considerably behindother Rockies pipes Tuesday, was playing catch-up Wednesday with anincrease of a little more than a dime after an eastward-moving coldfront blanketed much of the state of Colorado in snow.

Two main players in the gas industry’s e business sector joinedforces last week as Altra Energy Technologies and Excelergy Corp.announced an agreement in which Excelergy’s billing and customerinformation software will be marketed along with Altra’s wholesaletrading and risk management products. No financial terms weredisclosed. The venture is currently under way.

Two main players in the gas industry’s e business sector joinedforces yesterday as Altra Energy Technologies and Excelergy Corp.announced an agreement in which Excelergy’s billing and customerinformation software will be marketed along with Altra’s wholesaletrading and risk management products. No financial terms weredisclosed. The venture is currently under way.

California Gov. Gray Davis has joined the California CoastalCommission and the state attorney general’s office in a lawsuitagainst the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) to block extensionsDOI Secretary Bruce Babbitt granted last week on 36 undeveloped oiland gas leases offshore.

Commissioners Linda K. Breathitt and Vicky A. Bailey last weekjoined the club of those confused about when, if ever, FERC mightsettle the huge number of gas issues that have been on its platefor more than a year. Much to the chagrin of the industry, whichhas been anticipating some type of FERC action soon, Breathittindicated it would take up to six more months, while Baileypredicted the Commission would be delivering a package of gasdecisions by Christmas.