Offer

Through its National Energy Choice program, NEChoice LLC, aBoston-based energy aggregator, said it will offer gas tocommercial, industrial and municipal users in Massachusetts andRhode Island. The program offers savings of 10 to 25% off gassupply. National Energy Choice chose e prime to provide gas to itscustomers from a field of 50 competitors.

Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) announced it willoffer a choice of other natural gas suppliers to an additional300,000 customers this summer, pending approval by the New JerseyBoard of Public Utilities (BPU). Less than one year ago, thecompany introduced the pilot, offering a choice of suppliers toabout 65,000 PSE&G residential customers in four New Jerseymunicipalities, Bloomfield, Piscataway, Pennsauken and Westampton.

After 30% of its gas customers saved $7 million (11%) on theirgas bills through a customer choice pilot in Toledo, OH, last year,Columbia Gas of Ohio decided the results were too good to withholdfrom the rest of its customer base. The Ohio utility filed anapplication with the Ohio Public Utility Commission late Tuesday toallow the rest of its 1.3 million customers to choose alternativesuppliers.

The Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) issued a complaint and offerof settlement to Mitchell Energy & Development alleging pasttechnical violations of drilling and completion rules. Thecomplaint involves 112 wells, all of which were drilled more than35 years ago. The TRC said the actual depth of the surface casingset in each well was shorter than the depth required by andreported to the commission. Mitchell said there is no evidence ofpollution from the wells.

Union Pacific Resources Group (UPR) closed on its acquisition ofNorcen Energy Resources. The companies’ boards approved the dealJan. 26. UPR initiated a tender offer for the 51.5% of Norcen’s stock not owned or controlled by Noranda Inc., a shareholder of49.5% Norcen common stock.

El Paso said effective March 1 it will offer four dailyscheduling cyles instead of two, additional reduction codes,enhanced pooling, enhanced bumping for firm shippers and extra helpmatching up DUNS numbers at certain points on the line. It alsowill modify the procedures used to balance pools. See the PassPortbulletin board for details