Opens

FERC yesterday did a complete about-face and set for hearing the allegations that El Paso Natural Gas rigged the bidding process for transportation capacity on its system to favor its merchant-power generation facilities. The decision was a major win for California parties and a disappointing setback for El Paso pipeline and its affiliates.

After five years in the making, Alliance Pipeline officiallyopens for business today, adding 1.325 Bcf/d of new firmtransportation capacity from British Columbia and Alberta to theChicago gas market hub. The pipeline company held a grand openingceremony yesterday. “Our new, state-of-the-art pipeline systemprovides Western Canadian natural gas producers the opportunity toexpand their markets in both the Midwest United States and EasternCanada by offering them incremental transportation capacity througha real, competitive choice,” said CEO Norm Gish. “It will provideend-users in these market areas with a new supply conduit for thecleanest-burning hydrocarbon fuel. It will stimulate theexploration and producing sector in Western Canada resulting inenhanced business and employment opportunities in many communities.And, it will significantly contribute revenues to many governmentsdirectly in the form of taxes and indirectly in the form ofroyalties through increases in gas production.” COO Allan Edgeworthnoted that while the scale of the 2,300 mile system is significant,”it is only capable of transporting 10% of Alberta’s and BritishColumbia’s total gas production destined for export to eitherEastern Canada or the United States. The Alliance pipeline sponsorsinclude Coastal (14.4%), Enbridge (21.4%), Fort Chicago EnergyPartners LP (26.0%), Williams (14.6%) and Westcoast (23.6%).

Eight months after its inception, TradeSpark continues to climb the ranks of online exchanges, announcing late last week that it has purchased TCT Natural Gas Inc., a Houston natural gas brokerage house, and opened a TradeSpark office in Houston. The company said the new division will give the New York-based energy marketplace a stronghold in the Houston area and immediate gas options trading capabilities.

In complying with its 1998 Pennsylvania restructuring settlement, GPU Energy has issued a request for proposals (RFP) from electricity suppliers interested in providing competitive default service (CDS) to customers in its Metropolitan Edison Co. and Pennsylvania Electric Co. service territories.

EMK3 reported that after almost three months of operation it has launched the natural gas component of its online energy marketplace, making it the first marketplace on the block to offer domestic buyers and sellers of both oil and natural gas the ability to electronically acquire and sell production at the source, i.e., from the wellhead.

EMK3 reported that after almost three months of operation it has launched the natural gas component of its online energy marketplace, making it the first marketplace on the block to offer domestic buyers and sellers of both oil and natural gas the ability to electronically acquire and sell production at the source, i.e., from the wellhead.

In complying with its 1998 Pennsylvania restructuringsettlement, GPU Energy has issued a request for proposals (RFP)from electricity suppliers interested in providing competitivedefault service (CDS) to customers in its Metropolitan Edison Co.and Pennsylvania Electric Co. service territories.

Entergy-Koch LP opened for business yesterday, adding a newwholesale energy trading, transportation and marketing company tothe burgeoning marketplace. Formed by subsidiaries of Entergy Corp.and Koch Industries, Houston-based EKLP will deliver, market andtrade power, natural gas and other energy-related commodities,including weather derivatives through Axia Energy LP, Axia EnergyEurope Ltd. and Gulf South Pipeline Co. LP.

Duke Energy Field Services (DEFS) began service on its newlyconstructed 12-inch, 42-mile natural gas pipeline, which travelsfrom the company’s Carney processing facility to its Kingfisherplant near Cashion, OK. The company said the line is capable ofmoving 60 MMcf/d.