President

While gas prices remain extremely high, R. Skip Horvath,president of the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), last weekurged state regulators to be patient until the record number of gasrigs operating can do their work and provide desperately neededsupply increases.

While gas prices remain camped out at record levels, R. SkipHorvath, president of the Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA),urged state regulators yesterday to be patient until the recordnumber of gas rigs operating can do their work and providedesperately needed supply increases.

The prospect of privatization of Mexico’s energy industry underits President-elect Vicente Fox has California interests salivatingbecause already robust demand and infrastructure activity in NorthBaja and along the other northern states promises to get evenhotter under the new political leadership in the next few years.

Reps. James L. Oberstar (D-MN), John D. Dingell (D-MI) and DavidR. Obey (D-WI) sent letters to President Clinton and HouseDemocratic Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt last week urgingrejection of an effort to include the Senate’s pipeline safety bill(S. 2438) as a rider to an appropriations bill or other “must-pass”legislation.

Reps. James L. Oberstar (D-MN), John D. Dingell (D-MI) and David R. Obey (D-WI) sent letters to President Clinton and House Democratic Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt last week urging rejection of an effort to include the Senate’s pipeline safety bill (S. 2438) as a rider to an appropriations bill or other “must-pass” legislation.

In the wake of President Clinton’s release of crude oil from theStrategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to mitigate heating oil pricesthis winter, Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK) of the Senate Energyand Natural Resources Committee yesterday asked Energy SecretaryBill Richardson whether the administration had anything up itssleeve to reduce natural gas prices as the industry enters thewinter heating season.

Marathon Oil’s new President Clarence Cazalot last week followedthrough on consolidation plans announced earlier this summer. Hesaid the company will consolidate parts of its U.S. upstreamorganization, resulting in an initial staff reduction of about 200jobs. The changes are expected to save the company about $75million/year.

Marathon Oil’s new President Clarence Cazalot yesterday followedthrough on consolidation plans announced earlier this summer. Hesaid the company will consolidate parts of its U.S. upstreamorganization, resulting in an initial staff reduction of about 200jobs. The changes are expected to save the company about $75million/year. Marathon’s stock fell 75 cents yesterday to $28.19.

Larry W. Brummett, chairman and CEO of Tulsa’s ONEOK Inc., diedFriday following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 49. Hebecame CEO, chairman and president of ONEOK in 1994 and under hisdirection, ONEOK had grown from a local natural gas utility companywith assets of $1 billion in 1994 to a diversified natural gascompany with total assets exceeding $5 billion. “Larry was a greatleader and a wonderful friend to all who knew him,” said COO DavidKyle. “It is a tribute to him that we have such a great team ofemployees at ONEOK who will move forward with the focus and visionthat he has set for the company during his years of leadership.”