Private

Arizona regulators have urged the state’s private-sector utilities to pursue new and traditional approaches to upgrading the state’s natural gas pipeline infrastructure and storage, seeking to provide more diversity of both supplies and infrastructure. They outlined a gas framework as part of a policy statement released just before the holidays last month.

In concert with a one-two combination of bullish private and governmental weather forecasts, the natural gas futures market spiked briefly above the $7.50 mark Wednesday as non-commercial fund traders reversed to the long side of the market. As it turned out, that may have been an expensive decision because prices tumbled Wednesday afternoon nearly as quickly as they had risen.

Atmos Energy Corp. said Friday it is buying the natural gas assets of privately held ComFurT Gas Inc. for $1.95 million in cash. ComFurT serves 1,800 gas customers in Buena Vista, CO, where it is headquartered.

Dallas-based independent Angus Energy Corp. said it completed a $3 million private placement and has acquired one of the largest acreage positions in the expanding Barnett Shale natural gas play in central Texas. In connection with the financing, Angus has acquired the exclusive drilling rights and operating interests in the Stanton Powell Ranch and surrounding properties located in Bosque County, TX. The company now controls over 17,000 acres of mineral interests in the Barnett Shale, making it one of the largest leaseholders in the area. Angus also holds an option to acquire an additional 141,500 Barnett Shale acres. The Barnett Shale gas play is the largest natural gas field in Texas and a primary supplier to the North American gas market. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Barnett may hold 10 Tcf of recoverable natural gas with production in the region currently exceeding 6 Bcf per month. Natural gas was discovered on the Stanton Powell Ranch property in 1996. Angus will employ the latest proven horizontal drilling and fracture technologies to recover the gas within its Bosque County properties. Seismic has already been shot on the property and drilling operations will commence immediately. As part of the financing agreement Angus will submit certain filings to the SEC and apply for a listing on the American Stock Exchange within 120 days.

Shell Exploration and Production Co. agreed Friday to sell its Michigan assets to Dallas-based Merit Energy Co. for $445 million. The Michigan asset sale is part of Royal Dutch/Shell Group’s announced plans to divest $500 million of exploration and production (E&P) assets this year (see Daily GPI, March 27).

Gastar Exploration, Ltd., in conjunction with First Source Texas Inc. (FST), has entered into an agreement with an undisclosed private industry participant to acquire a 75% interest in approximately 9,100 gross acres (6,500 net acres) that lie immediately adjacent to and nearby Gastar’s existing East Texas Deep Bossier acreage. Assuming that Gastar’s and FST’s existing partners in the Deep Bossier play exercise their rights to a proportionate share of these leases, Gastar is expected to hold a 45% working interest position in these additional leases. With the addition of these leases, Gastar, FST and their minority partners will control a total of approximately 22,200 gross seismically controlled acres in the East Texas Deep Bossier play. The terms of the agreement called for Gastar, FST and their partners to make an initial payment of $800,000 and a subsequent final payment of $800,000 on or before Aug. 15, 2004. “The addition of this acreage, which Gastar believes significantly enhances our position in the Deep Bossier play, is another direct consequence of the positive results achieved from Gastar’s initial Deep Bossier well, the Belin Trust A-1 well,” said J. Russell Porter, Gastar’s COO.

While its private sector electric utilities squirmed and made contingency plans for a possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Nevada’s energy regulators put a positive spin on an adverse Enron Corp. court ruling that went against the state’s two electric utilities late last month. When the three-member Nevada Public Utilities Commission met last Wednesday the court decision wasn’t mentioned.

Gastar Exploration, Ltd., in conjunction with First Source Texas Inc. (FST), has entered into an agreement with an undisclosed private industry participant to acquire a 75% interest in approximately 9,100 gross acres (6,500 net acres) that lie immediately adjacent to and nearby Gastar’s existing East Texas Deep Bossier acreage. Assuming that Gastar’s and FST’s existing partners in the Deep Bossier play exercise their rights to a proportionate share of these leases, Gastar is expected to hold a 45% working interest position in these additional leases. With the addition of these leases, Gastar, FST and their minority partners will control a total of approximately 22,200 gross seismically controlled acres in the East Texas Deep Bossier play. The terms of the agreement called for Gastar, FST and their partners to make an initial payment of $800,000 and a subsequent final payment of $800,000 on or before Aug. 15, 2004. “The addition of this acreage, which Gastar believes significantly enhances our position in the Deep Bossier play, is another direct consequence of the positive results achieved from Gastar’s initial Deep Bossier well, the Belin Trust A-1 well,” said J. Russell Porter, Gastar’s COO.

A Palo Alto, CA-based non-profit, private energy-related research firm last week rolled out a public-education campaign aimed at raising $100 billion over a 10-year period to upgrade major electric transmission and distribution facilities, and to introduce technological changes to bring the power network in touch with the 21st Century.