Reaching

In a move that could have far-reaching legal repercussions for pipelines, producers and other companies operating on Indian lands, two affiliated Montana Indian tribes have brought a civil lawsuit in a tribal court seeking to collect more than $3 million in back taxes from Northern Border Pipeline.

In a move that could have far-reaching legal repercussions for pipelines, producers and other companies operating on Indian lands, two affiliated Montana Indian tribes have brought a civil lawsuit in a tribal court seeking to collect more than $3 million in back taxes from Northern Border Pipeline.

Dallas-based Hunt Oil Co. snagged another gas-rich Canadian property last week by reaching an all-cash deal to acquire Edmonton-based Chieftain International Inc. With the unanimous support of both boards, Hunt will pay $29 per share, making the deal worth $600 million (C$915 million). Hunt also will assume about $15 million in debt.

Dallas-based Hunt Oil Co. snagged another gas-rich Canadian property on Tuesday by reaching an all-cash deal to acquire Edmonton-based Chieftain International Inc. With the unanimous support of both boards, Hunt will pay $29 per share, making the deal worth $600 million (C$915 million). Hunt also will assume about $15 million in debt.

TranCanada continued its divestiture program yesterday byreaching an agreement with GDF International, a subsidiary of Gazde France, to sell its Netherlands assets for about C$501 million.TransCanada also expects to see almost C$51 million in proceedsfrom the assets’ activity during the first half of 2000.

TransCanada CEO Doug Baldwin let investors know last week thatthis year is just the beginning of the cost-cutting and assetshuffling at the company. He predicted assets sales would reach $3billion (out of a total of $26 billion) by the end of 2001,including what already has been put on the block this year.

TransCanada CEO Doug Baldwin let investors know that this yearis just the beginning of the cost-cutting and asset shuffling atthe company. He said to expect $3 billion of the company’s $26billion in assets to be put on the auction block by the end of2001. That includes those assets that have been or will be soldthis year: Angus Chemical, which was bought by Dow Chemical in thethird quarter; the prior transfer of ownership in Northern Borderto TC Pipelines LP; and the company’s liquids marketing business,which is expected to be sold in the fourth quarter. He warned thereis still a lot of underperforming fat to be trimmed, and anotherso-far-unannounced collection of assets could go in the fourthquarter.

Western Resources Inc. and Kansas City Power and Light (KCPL) -could be reaching the end of their long-fought merger battle as theKansas Corporation Commission (KCC) approved the merger with someconditions.

Reaching a 30 Tcf gas market will greatly benefit the nation’spower market, so it only makes sense that electric utilities shouldhelp the gas industry achieve that goal, said Thomas Kuhn,president of Edison Electric Institute (EEI). Kuhn, speakingyesterday at the Natural Gas Roundtable in Washington D.C., saidthe convergence between the industries has become such a force thatthe EEI, whose members generate and distribute roughlythree-fourths of the nation’s electricity, is planning to take amore active role in helping the gas industry meet its demand.