Offered

Expressing concern over the future of the energy bill (HR 6) pending in the Senate, Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) Monday offered an amendment to the $286 billion farm bill (HR 2419) that seeks to increase the nation’s use of renewable fuels over the next decade and a half.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) offered a motion Friday to go to conference on the energy bill, a Senate committee staffer said. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) objected to the motion due to the number of senators who were traveling.

An estimated 28.5 million acres of land in federal waters offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama will be offered for lease in October as the Minerals Management Service (MMS) holds the first Central Gulf of Mexico lease sale in its 2007-2012 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leasing program.

Sen. John Warner (R-VA) offered an amendment Thursday that would allow Virginia to explore and drill for natural gas off of the state’s coastline, but Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) countered with a second-degree amendment that could block Virginia from moving forward. The measures are being considered as part of the broad energy bill (HR 56) being debated on the Senate floor, which had not been voted on as of press time Thursday.

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) has offered legislation to block Cuba from engaging in oil and natural gas production off the Florida coastline. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (D-FL) said she plans to introduce a similar bill in the House.

Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) has offered legislation that would block Cuba from engaging in oil and natural gas production off the Florida coastline. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (D-FL) said she plans to introduce a similar bill in the House.

Ex-Enron Corp. CFO Andrew Fastow, who was sentenced to six years in prison last month (see NGI, Oct. 2), will be given a day pass through October to allow him to participate in a deposition to prepare for a trial against several of Enron’s former banking partners. Also on Friday, Dynegy Inc. agreed to pay Enron $44 million to resolve litigation issues, a bank settled with Enron for another $20 million, and Enron’s former corporate secretary received probation for helping prosecutors convict Enron founder Kenneth Lay and ex-CEO Jeffrey Skilling.

Ex-Enron Corp. CFO Andrew Fastow, who was sentenced to six years in prison last month (see Daily GPI, Sept. 27), will be given a day pass through October to allow him to participate in a deposition to prepare for a trial against several of Enron’s former banking partners. Also on Friday, Dynegy Inc. agreed to pay Enron $44 million to resolve litigation issues, a bank settled with Enron for another $20 million, and Enron’s former corporate secretary received probation for helping prosecutors convict Enron founder Kenneth Lay and ex-CEO Jeffrey Skilling.

Australian-based producer Woodside Exploration Ltd. formally launched an unsolicited bid for Energy Partners Ltd. (EPL) on Thursday, offering $880 million for the New Orleans-based producer. Woodside offered $23 for each outstanding share of EPL, contingent on EPL not completing its pending $1.4 billion merger with Stone Energy Corp. (see Daily GPI, Aug. 29).