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Major pipeline-only companies for the most part turned in”better-than-expected” performances during the first quarter of theyear, while integrated pipelines took some big hits – particularlyin the oilpatch, gas analysts said. Fortunately for someintegrateds, the bigger profits from their unregulated activitieshelped to offset the losses.

A rate refund, refocusing and early retirement programs, plusboth failed and successful merger costs wiped out PacifiCorp’s 1998earnings of $300 million, leaving the company with a $55 millionloss for the year. In comparison 1997 earnings after special itemswere $641 million; they were $350 million before special items. Thecompany’s refocusing in 1998 and 1999 includes shutdown of itsenergy marketing business, the sale of TPC Corp., and of EnergyWorks, a joint venture with Bechtel, and the closing of its Turkishenterprises.

Natural Gas Intelligence the weekly gas market newsletter

Sumas was making waves in the gas market earlier in the week bybeing the first point to exceed $3 pricing in this winter season.But it was tsunami time Friday as the $3 level was left way behind.How does paying $25/Mcf for Canadian supplies grab you?

As an enticement to do business, Aquila Energy is sending giftsto about 2,000 large energy users as part of a $3 million-plusdirect marketing and national advertising campaign. The gifts are aphone, antique bank replica, or a weather radio and are being sentto prospects in Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh, New York, Houston,Baltimore, and Washington, DC.

Energen Resources Corp., the oil and gas subsidiary of EnergenCorp., reported it signed a definitive agreement to acquire thestock of Total Minatome Corp. for $110 million, plus $22 million inlegal and financial obligations. For its investment, EnergenResources will gain an estimated 200 billion cubic feet equivalent(Bcfe) of proved domestic oil and natural gas reserves. Immediatelyupon closing the transaction on Oct.15, Energen Resources (formerlyTaurus Exploration Inc.) plans to sell a 31% undivided interest inTotal Minatome’s assets to Westport Oil and Gas Co. Inc.

Gulf producers battened down the hatches on hundreds ofplatforms yesterday, shut in more than 2.5 Bcf/d of gas andscrambled ashore as Tropical Storm Earl, which seemed to pop out ofnowhere Monday, rapidly gained strength and appeared likely tobecome the Gulf’s first hurricane by this morning. At 4 p.m.yesterday, the National Weather Service said hurricane warningswere in effect from Pascagoula, MS, to Cameron, LA. Hurricanewatches were in effect from east of Pascagoula to Destin, FL, andwest of Cameron to High Island, TX. Earl was centered near 27degrees north latitude and 93 degrees west longitude, moving northnortheast at 12 mph with 60 mph winds. The NWS said it expectedEarl to become a hurricane prior to landfall.