Raked

Louisiana’s Mineral Board (LMB) raked in $93.8 million at its August lease sale Wednesday, nearly double the $48.7 million collected in July’s sale (see Daily GPI, July 17), overwhelmingly thanks to the shale gas play they call the Haynesville.

The world’s largest public oil company raked in second-quarter profits commensurate with its size. Exxon Mobil Corp., broke its own quarterly earnings record (see Daily GPI, April 28) in 2Q 2006, reporting net income of $10.36 billion, $1.72/share, an increase of $2.72 billion from the second quarter of 2005. First half net income of $18.76 billion, $3.09/share, increased by 21% versus first-half 2005.

For anyone who was keeping score, it seemed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) was collecting far more money from energy companies in penalties and settlements than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over the past year. But that’s not what the totals show. FERC, in fact, obtained over $100 million more from energy firms than the CFTC, according to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) review of the second-year performance of the president’s Corporate Fraud Task Force.

For anyone who was keeping score, it seemed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) was collecting far more money from energy companies in penalties and settlements than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over the past year. But that’s not what the totals show. FERC, in fact, obtained over $100 million more from energy firms than the CFTC, according to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) review of the second-year performance of the president’s Corporate Fraud Task Force.

CNG Transmission Corp. last week called on FERC to dismiss thepending application of potential competitor Independence Pipeline,claiming that the 400-mile project was based on out-dated andfaulty demand projections for the Northeast gas market and lackedbinding precedent agreements. In addition, it said Independence hasdrawn “substantial opposition” from affected landowners andenvironmental groups.

CNG Transmission Corp. last week called on FERC to dismiss thepending application of potential competitor Independence Pipeline,claiming that the 400-mile project was based on out-dated andfaulty demand projections for the Northeast gas market and lackedbinding precedent agreements. In addition, it said Independence hasdrawn “substantial opposition” from affected landowners andenvironmental groups.