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Mitchell Energy & Development replaced 187% percent of thegas and oil reserves it produced in fiscal 1998, even while settinga new high for annual gas sales of 238 MMcf/d.

Canada’s National Energy Board approved six applications foreight licenses to export some 1.2 Tcf of gas for periods of two toten years:

Prices ranged from flat to down a few cents Wednesday, with mostof the softness concentrated in the Gulf Coast, Midcontinent andChicago citygates. Columbia-Appalachia joined those points indeclines of mostly 3-6 cents, but CNG and Northeast citygates weredown only a penny or two. The declines tended to be attributed to”tracking the Nymex,” as a marketer said.

March prices, which had roared off to a strong start on Monday,filtered lower Tuesday leaving traders wondering if March wouldfollow the weather adage and trade out like a lamb. Cash priceswere slipping anywhere from a couple cents to nearly a dime Tuesdayin most markets. In doing so, many spot points achieved in Marchwhat they were unable to do the entire month of February: tradebelow index. Rockies gas, however, remained in high demand, immuneto the overall losses.

The April Nymex contract took a 5.1 cent hit to $2.241 onTuesday, as speculators continued to sell positions following thespot month’s inability to break above the $2.355 resistance levelon Monday, a source told GPI. Total volume was estimated at 41,490contracts.

The Alliance Pipeline project’s in-service date is expected tobe delayed by about one year, Alliance Pipeline President and CEODennis Cornelson announced yesterday. The massive Canadian gaspipeline project designed to bring 2.3 Bcf/d of supply to theChicago hub from supply basins in British Columbia and Albertalikely won’t start flowing gas until late in 2000 rather than inNovember 1999 because of continued regulatory delays in Canada. Theproject has come under a hail of protests from competitors inongoing hearings in front of Canada’s National Energy Board.

Texas Utilities Co. Tuesday acquired 72,560,178 Energy GroupShares at 840 pence/share, representing about 13.9% of The EnergyGroup’s issued share capital. The 840 pence/share offer was thelatest in the bidding war between TXU and PacifiCorp for theBritish Utility.

Marking the start of construction related to projects thatultimately will increase pipeline capacity into New England by morethan 20%, Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS) andMaritimes & Northeast Pipeline began a crossing of thePiscataqua River between Newington, NH, and Eliot, ME. The crossingis the first stage in the construction of the PNGTS/Maritimes JointFacilities Project, which represents the southernmost portion ofeach pipeline.

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.