Merged

Enterprise Products Partners LP, which merged with GulfTerra Energy Partners LP last year, more than tripled its net income in the fourth quarter, reporting earnings of $115.4 million (28 cents/unit), compared with $34.2 million (13 cents) in 4Q2003. For the year, Enterprise earned $268.3 million (87 cents/unit), compared with $104.5 million (41 cents) in 2003.

Enterprise Products Partners LP, which merged with GulfTerra Energy Partners LP last year, more than tripled its net income in the fourth quarter, reporting earnings of $115.4 million (28 cents/unit), compared with $34.2 million (13 cents) in 4Q2003. For the year, Enterprise earned $268.3 million (87 cents/unit), compared with $104.5 million (41 cents) in 2003.

The New England Gas Association (NEGA) and the New York Gas Group (NYGAS) merged last week to become the Northeast Gas Association (NGA), which will represent the local distribution companies, interstate pipeline companies, LNG importers, and associate companies involved in supporting the natural gas industry in the seven-state region of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Lower commodity prices sent earnings tumbling for both majors and independents in the third quarter, with the newly merged ChevronTexaco reporting that its net income from operations declined 27%. Apache Corp., a Houston-based independent, had record production in the third quarter, but also had its earnings decline. And across town, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. said reduced prices will cause it to slow the pace of its production schedule through this year and into next. “Now is not the time to grow gas production just for the sake of growth,” said Anadarko CEO Robert Allison.

Energy East Corp., which continues to favor consolidating the New York, New England and Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland independent system operators (ISOs), recently offered a blueprint of ways to improve an ongoing process under which the Northeast ISOs are looking to enhance regional reliability.

Energy East Corp., which continues to favor consolidating the New York, New England and Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland independent system operators (ISOs), recently offered a blueprint of ways to improve an ongoing process under which the Northeast ISOs are looking to enhance regional reliability.

NiSource Inc. has chosen James K. Abcouwer as president and CEOof its newly-merged Columbia Natural Resources subsidiary. Abcouwerhad been NiSource’s senior vice president of Merchant Energy andpresident of its unregulated supply management company, TPC Corp.He will report to Patrick J. Mulchay, president of Merchant Energy.He succeeds W. Henry Harmon, who resigned Dec. 1. Abcouwer joinedNiSource in 1994 as vice president of Gas Supply for its NorthernIndiana Public Service Co. Prior to joining NIPSCO, Abcouwer hadalso been a director of Marketing and Gas Supply for Tenneco Gas.NiSource closed the acquisition of Columbia last November.

GRI and the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) named theirrecently merged organizations the Gas Technology Institute (GTI)last week and formed a senior management team led by John F.Riordan, president and CEO. The research groups announced theirmerger in April, saying it was mainly an effort to reduceoverlapping dues paid by their members and to combine the variousstrengths of the two entities.

Avista Energy announced today it has moved into the top ten inthe power marketing ranks with completion of its acquisition ofVitol Gas & Electric LLC, one of the top 20 energy marketingcompanies in the United States.