Looks

Prices usually spend Mondays recovering at least partially fromthe declines of the previous Friday. Yesterday was a reversal formost eastern points-they were giving back some of the gains thathad been realized Friday. The East tended to range from flat todown as much as a dime or more on a few Gulf Coast pipes.Trunkline’s two Louisiana pools were especially weak.

After much talk earlier in the week about how weak the cashmarket looks, it must have surprised some traders Wednesday to seeall but a few scattered points range from flat to as much as anickel higher. Between a neutral screen and no change infundamental factors, sources had trouble explaining why Tuesday’sprice skid came to such a quick halt only a day later. A marketersaid he wanted to suggest the “bears” had gone into hibernation,but it was too long before winter begins for that.

By Congressional mandate, Uncle Sam is supposed to get out ofthe utility business in the first few years of the new century. Howthe government can accomplish the feat at hundreds of militaryinstallations around the globe will become a little clearer by theend of this year when a current round of “requests for interest”(RFI) should be submitted by various private sector companies. Noone has an overall price tag on the facilities worldwide, but itprobably will be in the billions of dollars. There are thousands ofmiles of gas piping, water conduits and electrical lines to besold.

By Congressional mandate, Uncle Sam is supposed to get out ofthe utility business in the first few years of the new century. Howthe government can accomplish the feat at hundreds of militaryinstallations around the globe will become a little clearer by theend of this year when a current round of “requests for interest”(RFI) should be submitted by various private sector companies. Noone has an overall price tag on the facilities worldwide, but itprobably will be in the billions of dollars. There are thousands ofmiles of gas piping, water conduits and electrical lines to besold.

Natural gas and distributed electric power should become closeallies over the next 30 to 40 years as the world transitions toless dependence on a fossil fuel-based energy economy, according toseveral microturbines developers who outlined the “opportunitiesand challenges” of decentralized electricity generation at NGI’sGasMart/Power ’99 in Dallas last week.

All eyes will be on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissionthis week as it looks to unveil its final rulemaking on thelong-awaited complaint procedures. With this scheduled action, itwill clear away the first of numerous major initiatives on itsplate.

All eyes will be on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissionthis week as it looks to unveil its final rulemaking on thelong-awaited complaint procedures. With this scheduled action, itwill clear away the first of numerous major initiatives on itsplate.

Despite the warmest year since 1921 in Michigan and a poorfourth quarter, CMS Energy announced a growth in net income to $284million, or $2.65 per share, in 1998 from $244 million, or $2.39per share, in 1997. The company credited improvements in both itsutility and international energy businesses as reasons for thegrowth.

Once again it’s ‘Westward Ho,’ as Questar Pipeline looks to beefup its southern mainline and connect with Williams West (Kern RiverGas Transmission) for deliveries to California.