Resolving

In a first for resolving clean air issues and saving natural gas at western production facilities, Kerr-McGee Corp., now a subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum, Thursday reached an $18 million settlement under the federal Clean Air Act that is supposed to slash harmful emissions and save natural gas at its production facilities in Colorado and Utah. The company self-disclosed a number of violations and has “worked cooperatively” with regulators to resolve them, regulators said.

The Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) has proposed a new rule aimed at resolving shipper disputes with Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and natural gas pipelines that are subject to regulation under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).

The Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) has proposed a new rule aimed at resolving shipper disputes with Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and natural gas pipelines that are subject to regulation under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).

FERC last week approved a settlement between Enron Power Marketing Inc. (EPMI) and Commission trial staff resolving pending matters stemming from Enron’s activities during the 2000-2001 Western energy crisis. The agency also approved three other settlements involving contract termination disputes between Enron and the Valley Electric Association of Nevada, the city of Santa Clara, CA, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Industry should take a “pipeline-by-pipeline approach” to tackling and resolving the contentious natural gas quality and interchangeability issues, two major gas groups said in a joint statement issued Friday.

Sempra Energy and its two major utility subsidiaries Wednesday announced they have reached a $350 million settlement agreement resolving claims in several class action lawsuits related to the 2000-2001 western U.S. energy crisis, including the Continental Forge, Nevada and some natural gas price reporting cases. The agreement is subject to the approvals of the San Diego Superior Court where a jury trial is now ongoing, the Nevada District Court for Clark County, City of Los Angeles and the City of Long Beach, CA (see Daily GPI, Nov. 1, 2005).

The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved an agreement resolving all issues related to the planned merger between Cinergy and Duke Energy. The Kentucky approval marks the second state-level green light given to the Cinergy-Duke deal (see Daily GPI, May 10).

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), chairman of the energy bill conference committee, and Rep. Charles Bass (R-NH) on Friday announced a plan aimed at resolving the stalemate over the proposed liability protections for producers of the fuel additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). The proposal drew immediate objections from House and Senate Democrats.

The Deh Cho First Nations sealed a key economic development deal with the Canadian government on Monday, resolving one of the major issues preventing development of the long proposed C$7 billion Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline.