Planning

With longer-term concerns about price and availability, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is planning to hold a half-day workshop on natural gas issues, probably in October, according to a PUC spokesperson. It most likely will be held in Las Vegas or in Reno/Carson City at the headquarters of the three-member regulatory panel.

Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) regulators are planning to write to the federal Department of Energy (DOE) to oppose the concept of federally designated electricity transmission corridors. The ACC is poised to take a position different from neighboring regulators in California who once opposed the concept but now support it.

Looking to keep up with increased natural gas production from the Williston Basin, Oneok Partners LP said it is planning a $30 million expansion of its Grasslands processing facility in McKenzie County, ND, that will increase capacity by approximately 60%. The company also said it wants to build a 440-mile natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline that would extend from southern Oklahoma through the Barnett Shale in North Texas to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Looking to keep up with increased natural gas production from the Williston Basin, Oneok Partners LP said Tuesday it is planning a $30 million expansion of its Grasslands processing facility in McKenzie County, ND, that will increase capacity by approximately 60%.

Duncan Energy Partners LP, a master limited partnership (MLP) created by a subsidiary of Houston-based Enterprise Products Partners LP, is planning to raise up to $313.95 million for an initial public offering (IPO) that would spin off from Enterprise in early 2007. Duncan initially will gain a 66% equity ownership in several Enterprise subsidiaries, including its Mont Belvieu, TX, storage facilities.

AGL Resources said it is planning a $180 million 12 Bcf storage facility in the Spindletop salt dome in Beaumont, TX, with the potential to increase the field’s working gas capacity to 36 Bcf.

AGL Resources said it is planning a $180 million 12 Bcf storage facility in the Spindletop salt dome in Beaumont, TX, with the potential to increase the field’s working gas capacity to 36 Bcf.

Three utility gas buyers and a medium-sized California food processor swapped stories about planning and buying natural gas supplies, and the moral to their collective tales is: “it ain’t easy” from either sector. They made their comments as part of the final panel at the two-day LDC Forum: Rockies & West conference in Los Angeles.

Kinder Morgan Inc. (KMI), which is planning to go private in 2007, on Wednesday reported its ownership in Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP (KMP) lifted quarterly net income from continuing operations to $137.3 million ($1.02/share), from $128.9 million ($1.04) in 3Q2005. KMP, meanwhile, reported 3Q2006 net income fell to $223.8 million from $245.4 million because of some accounting changes.