Represents

The Western Energy Alliance, which represents more than 400 natural gas and oil operators as well as six producers, has filed a lawsuit to force the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to award 118 leases in Utah and Wyoming that are worth an estimated $4.5 million.

An affiliate of a Houston-based natural gas marketer has accused Southern Natural Gas pipeline of violating its tariff and FERC policy — which requires capacity to be awarded to the shipper who values it the most — during a recent open season on its system.

The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), which represents power suppliers, has filed a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to reverse a lower court’s decision that it says, if left standing, could threaten the integrity of privately negotiated energy contracts.

The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), which represents power suppliers, has filed a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to reverse a lower court’s decision that it says, if left standing, could threaten the integrity of privately negotiated energy contracts.

Interior Secretary Kirk Kempthorne last Monday released the proposed five-year program (2007-2012) that calls for leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, Alaska’s Bristol Bay area and possibly offshore Virginia. Industry and consumer groups said the offshore leasing plan was far short of what is needed to meet increasing natural gas demand.

The Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA), which represents more than 150 municipal gas and electric utilities in the state, last week joined a push by the American Public Gas Association (APGA) to support strengthening the gas market transparency language in the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reauthorization legislation.

The Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA), which represents more than 150 municipal gas and electric utilities in the state, joined a push by the American Public Gas Association (APGA) on Thursday to support strengthening the gas market transparency language in the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reauthorization legislation.

The decision by Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Tuesday to approve the proposed Northeast Gateway and Neptune offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminals represents the last major hurdle for the two projects, which could become the first new LNG import terminals along the East Coast of the United States to successfully navigate through the challenging regulatory and political process.

The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers (TAEP), which represents nearly 3,000 independent oil and natural gas producers, last week asked the Texas attorney general to investigate “suspicious business practices” by intrastate natural gas gatherers and processors. The request follows two others to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott: one by the National Association of Royalty Owners and the other by the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO), which requested a review of possible price manipulation by Energy Transfer Co. (ETC) (see NGI, Nov. 6).