Plus

Continuing turmoil within the wholesale markets and an awful month of June for gas versus power prices have forced American Electric Power (AEP) to re-think its 2002 earnings forecast. On Thursday, the company predicted its earnings would be 10% lower than expected this year.

Exelon Generation Co. LLC is buying the other half of Sithe New England Holdings LLC from Sithe Energies, Inc. for a $543 million note, plus the assumption of $1.15 billion of project debt. Exelon currently owns 49.9% of the company, which operates 4,400 MW of generation produced by seven gas or gas and oil fired power plants in New England.

Castle Energy Corp. has agreed to sell all of its domestic oil and gas properties to Delta Petroleum for $20 million in cash plus 9.6 million shares of Delta common stock, which would result in the company owning 43% of Delta. The properties consist of oil and gas interests in 525 oil and gas wells in 14 states, including associated undeveloped acreage, with total proved reserves of 65 Bcfe of gas, of which 32 Bcfe are proved developed producing reserves. The effective date of the sale was Oct. 1, 2001 and closing is expected by April 30.

Castle Energy Corp. has agreed to sell all of its domestic oil and gas properties to Delta Petroleum for $20 million in cash plus 9.6 million shares of Delta common stock, which would result in the company owning 43% of Delta. The properties consist of oil and gas interests in 525 oil and gas wells in 14 states, including associated undeveloped acreage, with total proved reserves of 65 Bcfe of gas, of which 32 Bcfe are proved developed producing reserves. The effective date of the sale was Oct. 1, 2001 and closing is expected by April 30.

Canadian producers, distributor customers and Idaho potato processors are protesting a rate case filing by Viking Gas Transmission that the protesters claim would raise the pipeline’s rates by over 50% at the same time it proposes a number of changes in its rate and scheduling scheme, including term-differentiated rates.

Although natural gas spot prices rallied to above the $3 mark in late October and early this month, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said last week the “fundamentals are simply not there for a significant sustained rebound in prices” to occur this year and next.

Although natural gas spot prices rallied to above the $3 mark in late October and early this month, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the “fundamentals are simply not there for a significant sustained rebound in prices” to occur this year and next.

Hot weather remained the key to higher cash prices at nearly all points Tuesday. Most gains were fairly modest around a dime or less, but ranged higher at Texas Eastern M-3 and Algonquin citygates and were topped by an increase exceeding 40 cents at Transco Zone 6-NYC.

Williams CEO Keith Bailey thinks his company has the best ofboth worlds: a 90-year-plus energy heritage that keeps its approachto communications “firmly footed in the direct, no-nonsense style”of its founders, coupled with a e-business edge that keeps it”young thinking.” However, as important as e-business is, Baileysaid there are two other “E’s” as important: energy and education.