Nearly

Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 172, held Wednesday in NewOrleans, garnered nearly $171.62 million in high bids out of$199.64 million in total bids. Of 3,806 blocks offered, 207received bids. There were 272 bids with an average of 1.31 bids perblock and 67 companies participating.

Trading in El Paso Energy stock was nearly triple normalactivity Friday, thanks to a rumor the company was acquiring SonatInc. Sonat share trading was more than five times the usual volumeas well. Friday El Paso closed down 2 15/16 at 35 _. Sonat closedup 3 1/16 at 30 3/16. El Paso’s 52-week range is 24 11/16 to 393/8, and Sonat’s 52-week range is 23 9/16 to 45.

Coastal’s ANR Pipeline applied to the FERC for another Wisconsinexpansion to add nearly 200 MMcf/d of capacity to go in service inNovember. 2000.

What a difference a week can make. Bull traders, nearly ready tothrow in the towel a week ago, have become “cautiously optimistic”higher prices are in their future. And they have good reason tofeel that way because the market entertained a flood of positivenews last week, which gave bulls and bears alike little choice butto bid the market higher. The April contract broke above the 40-daymoving average at $1.80 on Friday and was propelled 5 cents higherby speculative fund buying to finish the day up 9.8 cents at$1.853. Volume was a heavy 108,348. For the week, April gained 22.5cents.

Destin Pipeline Co. has filed at FERC to have cost limitationson its “CNG Lateral” waived in light of delays that pushed theproject’s cost to $35.1 million, well above $19.6 million allowedfor in the Commission’s certification of the project last year(Docket No. CP98-238).

While the March Nymex futures contract began Friday’s tradingsession on yet another up-note, a late sell-off brought it backdown to settle 2.9 cents lower on the day. The spot month went upas high $1.875, where it flirted with crossing over the 40-daymoving average, only to finish the day at $1.80.

KN Energy began its Choice Gas program in Nebraska for1999-2000, which will enable nearly all of its service territorycustomers to choose their gas supplier. Last year more than 68% ofeligible Nebraskans selected their supplier under the program.”Choice Gas in Nebraska was very successful in its first year andshould be even better this year,” said Dan Watson, KN distributionoperations general manager.

Not only has the gas industry seen a surge in mergers, the valueof gas mergers and acquisitions has nearly quadrupled in thisdecade from $10.4 billion in 1990 to $39 billion in 1997, accordingto the Energy Information Administration.

Conoco plans to eliminate nearly a thousand positions in 1999due to low oil prices and a need to improve operational efficiency.The layoffs will result in a $50 million after-tax charge againstConoco’s fourth quarter earnings, the company announced Tuesday.Conoco also said it was reducing its 1999 capital budget by $500million to $1.8 billion.