Resolve

Missouri Gas Energy (MGE) will pay $2,000 to the Missouri public school fund and will implement new procedures under an agreement approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to resolve a July staff complaint alleging PSC rules violations in connection with a natural gas explosion and fire in Blue Springs, MO, in January.

Burlington Resources Inc., a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, has agreed to pay the federal government $97.5 million to resolve claims that it underpaid royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said last Wednesday.

Burlington Resources Inc., a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, agreed to pay the federal government $97.5 million to resolve claims that it underpaid royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday.

Regulatory and monetary hurdles remain, but the Canadian government has completed a C$25 million (US$23.9 million) agreement with the Dene Tha’ First Nation in Alberta to resolve one of the disputes that has entangled the Mackenzie Gas Project (MGP) from moving forward.

FERC last Thursday approved two settlements totaling more than $84 million that resolve agency investigations into wholesale market power abuses during the western energy crisis of 2000-2001.

The Texas Legislature has passed two bills that would provide producers with an informal complaint process to resolve disputes over lost or unaccounted for natural gas, as well as give Texas regulators the ability to assess penalties of up to $5,000 a day for violations of agency regulations.

The Texas Legislature has passed two bills that would provide producers with an informal complaint process to resolve disputes over lost or unaccounted for natural gas, as well as give Texas regulators the ability to assess penalties of up to $5,000 a day for violations of agency regulations.

Nicor Inc. and its former controller agreed last week to pay more than $10 million to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that they engaged in improper transactions, made material misrepresentations and failed to disclose material information regarding Nicor’s gas inventory in order to meet earnings targets and increase the company’s revenues under a performance-based rate (PBR) plan administered by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Nicor Inc. and its former controller agreed Thursday to pay more than $10 million to settle charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that they engaged in improper transactions, made material misrepresentations and failed to disclose material information regarding Nicor’s gas inventory in order to meet earnings targets and increase the company’s revenues under a performance-based rate (PBR) plan administered by the Illinois Commerce Commission.