Represents

San Jose, CA-based Calpine Corp., which represents one of the largest natural gas appetites in North America for its sizable fleet of gas-fired electric generating plants, confirmed Thursday it is in preliminary talks with Alaska Gasline Port Authority (AGPA) about possibly becoming a prime potential customer for Alaska’s estimated 6 Bcf/d North Slope supplies.

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), which represents the nation’s biggest natural gas producers, has warned consumers to expect high gas prices this winter and a gas market situation similar to what occurred last winter.

This represents a new kind of approach by the Commission to the market, “which is that we’re acting not reacting,” said Commissioner Nora Brownell. The creation of this mechanism does not necessarily mean FERC has seen a “pattern of abuse” by pipelines that would warrant “more vigorous pursuit” of OFO activity, she noted. “We are simply setting up the mechanisms by which we will know them [OFO abuses] when we see them and be able to deal with them.”

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. announced it has purchasedDelta Terminal Services, Inc. for approximately $114 million incash. The acquisition “represents about half of the transactions weexpect to announce in December,” said Richard D. Kinder, KMPchairman, and brings to more than $2 billion the company’sannounced acquisitions this year. The Delta purchase includes twoliquid bulk storage terminals in New Orleans, LA, and Cincinnati,OH, providing services to producers of petroleum, chemicals andother products. “This acquisition is a great fit with our recentlyannounced GATX transaction — in which we acquired 12 terminalsacross the country — as it gives us liquids terminals in two newlocations, including access to the important Port of New Orleansmarket,” Kinder said. The New Orleans terminal has a storagecapacity of 2.5 million barrels, while the Cincinnati terminalholds 500,000 barrels.

The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), which representsindependent power producers, told FERC yesterday that proposedattempts to temporarily halt market-based pricing in New York’spower market this summer — through administrative rates, pricescreens or price caps — should be rejected.

El Paso said a shutdown of the Blanco (NM) Plant starting June 5represents the largest annual outage on its system, impacting about15% of normal total throughput. There will be zero flow throughBlanco for about four hours on June 5. Thereafter the IMOITRKA (BRValverde) point can flow at its normal rate, but the net reductionof San Juan Basin capacity for the day will be 600 MMcf/d. Duringthe June 5-9 period maintenance on Blanco’s C and D plants will cutSan Juan capacity by 500 MMcf/d. A June 5-14 outage of the Gallup(NM) Station essentially will have no additional impact whileBlanco is down, but will result in a 250 MMcf/d San Juan cutbackJune 10-14. Combined pipeline and compressor maintenance betweenthe Leupp and Flagstaff Stations in Arizona will reduce NorthMainline capacity by 500 MMcf/d June 5, 400 MMcf/d June 6 and 210MMcf/d June 7. See the El Paso bulletin board for details of othermaintenance planned during June.

They might both be majors, but Chevron U.S.A. Production Co. andShell Exploration & Production Co. still think it’s wise to notgo it alone in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The companieshave agreed to share drilling rigs and jointly drill twoexploratory wells there this year.

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), which represents thenation’s major gas producers, last week placed its president,Nicholas J. Bush, on administrative leave without pay in the wakeof an investigation and a subsequent lawsuit. The suit accuses himof fraud and misappropriating more than $2.4 million from the groupsince the late 1980s. The D.C. Superior Court, where the suit wasfiled, has issued a temporary restraining order against Bush andhas continued the case until Feb. 26 [Docket No. 1028-99].

The Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), which represents thenation’s major gas producers, earlier this week placed itspresident, Nicholas J. Bush, on administrative leave without pay inthe wake of an investigation and a subsequent civil lawsuitaccusing him of misappropriating more than $2 million from thegroup since the late 1980s. The D.C. Superior Court, where the suitwas filed, has issued a temporary restraining order against Bushand has continued the case until Feb. 26 [Docket No. 001028-99].